Zootopia: Black Knight
by MilitantMammal
Summary: Months after the Nighthowler Incident, Nick and Judy have already proven themselves to be excellent cops. But when they find themselves caught in the dangerous world of a blacklist military asset gone rogue, and the Zootopian Intelligence Agency hell-bent on catching them, will they have the skills and the courage to survive?
1. Chapter 1

Judy sighed as she stepped out onto the city sidewalk. She didn't hate the nightshift, not totally at least. The city at night did seem to have a certain feel to it, even here in the city center as some mammals trudged off to home to sleep, while some more nocturnal mammals just got up to start their day. Even with the bright lights and city noise, the place seemed almost half asleep. She knew this wouldn't last. She had worked than enough eventful night shifts to know the coffees in her paws would be crucial over the next twelve hours.

She walked down the sidewalk, carefully carrying both coffees. Nick was parked in the cruiser just a few blocks away, he had offered to park in front or make the walk himself, but Judy had insisted she didn't mind. Their shift had just barely started and already he was getting restless, so she was glad to go get their drinks.

As she walked, her path took her alongside a construction site. She had seen signs advertising the construction as a new office for some insurance firm. She was just barely aware of her surroundings as she passed by until a shout, followed by a fairly strong shove got her attention. Her carefully held coffees spilled to the ground, and she spun, ready to snap at whoever pushed her, when she saw probably one of the largest coyotes she had seen in her life. He was tall and heavily muscled; honestly he could've passed for a wolf if it wasn't for the sandy tan of his fur. He wore an orange high-vis construction vest and hard hat, and had a nervous grin. As he smiled, Judy noticed a long scar on his muzzle, reaching from just below his eye across both lips before curving along his jawline. If the mammal hadn't looked so sheepish, Judy probably would've felt intimidated by the larger predator.

"I'm not sure what you were thinking," Judy said, "But you do realize you just shoved an _on duty_ police officer right?"

"I'm real sorry about that officer, I just didn't want you to get hurt by those bricks!" the canine answered, gesturing to a cracked pile of red brick just a few steps behind Judy. "I guess a couple must've slipped off a pallet up top. I saw them falling and I just had to get you out of the way…sorry about your coffees." The coyote looked down rubbing his neck. Despite saving her skin, he obviously actually felt bad about her spilled coffees. A wave of shame rolled over Judy as she realized how rude she was to a mammal just looking out for her.

"Oh jeez, don't worry about the stupid coffees, those bricks could've killed me!" Then another realization hit her as well. "Wait…they could've killed you too! What the hell were you thinking jumping in the way like that?"

The coyote grinned nervously and said "Well, I couldn't just let one of the best cops in the city get taken out by some bricks!"

Judy's ears turned pink and she gritted her teeth. It was true, she got recognized a lot in the city, the Nighthowler case was still just barely a year ago and it had gotten her a lot of screen time on the city's news channels. _Makes sense that he knows me, but why would he risk his life like that?_ She thought.

"Well thank you so much, Mister…?"

The coyote hesitated, looking oddly apprehensive before answering.

"Foreston. Tice Foreston."

Judy smiled and stuck out a paw for a friendly shake "Thank you "

Tice shook her paw, still seeming a bit nervous, saying "Don't mention it Officer Hopps…I guess I owe you a couple coffees now, huh?"

Judy laughed brightly at that and shook her head, "Heck no, if anything I owe you one! Seriously, I really appreciate it." The coyote nodded with a smile silently and let go off he much smaller paw.

As the silence lengthened, Judy bounced a bit on her paws before saying "Well…I really should get back to the cruiser, my partner will be wondering where I got off to."

"Oh of course! I should be getting back to work too. Have a good night officer!"

"You too!" chirped Judy as the two shared a smile. Judy bounced off down the sidewalk, her lost coffees almost forgotten. It definitely wasn't every day a mammal saves your life. And he had been so nice! Judy made a mental note to remember the big coyote. Maybe she could make good on her offer and bring a coffee for him, as long as he stayed on that site for a bit.

After a few minutes of walking, she found herself back at her cruiser. She opened the door and hopped in, and groaned as she found her partner dozing off behind the wheel.

"Nick! Get up, no sleeping when you're the only one in the cruiser!" She admonished.

The russet fox jolted awake, before slipping back into a sleepy daze. He yawned as he reached towards the passenger seat, mumbling,

"Sorry Carrots, you know how I get on these night shifts without my coffee." His paw grasped at the empty air before the realization hit him. "Carrots…did you not get the coffees?"

Nick's face was the picture of horror. Judy had to stifle a laugh as she was reminded of a time she had asked a certain fox about how he had been handling his taxes. She knew she shouldn't laugh. Nick being nocturnal, and having to work some days and some nights had tossed his body's clock all out of whack these past few months, and she knew it was taking a toll. She dropped her ears as she launched into her explanation.

"Well see, I had the coffees, but then I almost got whacked on the head by these falling bricks! A coyote pushed me out of the way and I spilled the coffees. I would've gotten new ones, but I didn't want to leave you here alone too long." The last bit wasn't _exactly_ a dig on her partner, but he had been nearly asleep when she came back.

Nick was suddenly all seriousness, seeming to have quickly shook off his drowsiness.

"Oh god…Carrots are you alright? Did you get hurt at all?" Nick looked at her intensely, with a look of the utmost concern. Judy was shocked to find a little bit of a blush creeping up on her.

"Yes Nick, I'm fine. I wouldn't be, if it wasn't for that coyote but…I really am fine."

Nick kept his gaze locked on hers for another moment, and Judy almost began to feel a little awkward. Sure, her and Nick were best friends, and now partners these past six months since he left the academy but she really didn't think he would react like this. A decent amount of concern was expected in their situation but this was…something else.

Nick's gaze locked for just another moment before he sighed and seemed to relax.

"Well…alright. As long as you're okay." He paused for a moment before adding with a chuckle, "I'm having a hard time believing there's a mammal out there that shoved you down and got away unscathed"

Judy laughed, but then thought back to the coyote. He must have been at least more than double her size, and his workers clothes really had been able to hide the tough, rolling muscle beneath his shirt. He had been extremely friendly, but Judy couldn't help but feel he was definitely a mammal she wouldn't want to meet pissed off in a dark alley.

The pair sat in a comfortable silence for a minute before their radio crackled to life as Clawhauser's voice came through.

"Any unit, any unit, we've got a 10-25 on Thirty-third Street in Happytown."

Judy groaned and slammed her head to the dashboard. Someone had called in a dead body in Happytown, and she just knew her and Nick would be the current closest unit. Even if any other officers were close enough to take the call, there was almost always bigger fish to fry in Happytown, and being the relative rookies on the force, her and Nick would be expected to take this one.

Just as she expected, Nick keyed up the handset and replied,

"Roger Benny, me and Officer Hopps are close enough to take it. Were on our way to the call."

He hung up the handset and flicked on the lights and dropped the cruiser in drive. He didn't cut on the sirens; a body in Happytown was an everyday thing, there really didn't seem to be a point. As he pulled out into the road he glanced sidelong at his rabbit partner.

"Suppose it's gonna be one of those shifts, huh Fluff?" he asked with a tired grin.

Judy sighed as she slumped down into her seat. She loved real police work, but rolling a dead mammal in the ghetto really wasn't her dream call. She buckled up and resigned herself to a less than awesome shift as their blue lights reflected off the night time store fronts.

The cruiser rolled down the dark streets of Happytown. This sure as hell wasn't the same as the bright, bustling nightlife of city central. Here, the cruisers lights didn't reflect off the windows of trendy bars and cafes, or high end banks. They shone on liquor stores with bars on the windows, quick cash loan centers, and burnt out tenements. The people walking the sidewalks cast them sidelong glances and tried to shift further into the shadows and pools of darkness left by burnt out streetlights. This was a world that Judy had never known, not until she pinned on her badge. This was a world where that same badge made her, at best, someone to avoid, and at worst, a target. She watched this world pass by for a moment, before glancing at Nick. She knew he had grown up in this district. She had no idea where exactly, but she knew the sly fox had spent his fair share of time on these streets, hustling just to survive. She watched his face carefully. If being back here ever bothered him, the fox had never shown it.

As the fox turned the cruiser onto 33rd street he slowed, looking for their possible crime scene. They were the first two officers on scene, and in a neighborhood like this, the caller wasn't likely to stick around and wait for the cops. The pair cruised down the street in silence. Usually they would joke and laugh as they drove, but responding to a dead body was something that definitely sobered the two. Nick finally slowed and rolled to a stop at the mouth of an alley between a particularly seedy bar and a pawn shop. Judy turned questioningly to Nick.

"You sure this is it Slick? Clawhauser didn't say anything about an alley."

"Just a hunch I guess." Nick shrugged, unbuckling his seat belt as Judy did the same. She had learned to trust her partner's instincts, especially with things like this. The two hopped down out of their cruiser and walked towards the alley.

Both officers pulled flashlights off their belts, clicking them on and illuminating the alley. It was a typical city alleyway, an overflowing dumpster to one side, with stained concrete ending in a dead-end brick wall. The two slowly padded side by side, careful to swing their lights over every inch of the dirty concrete. As they came up on the dumpster, Judy's stomach tightened with nerves. Something told her that's where they would find what they were looking for.

As they turned the corner, her stomach dropped. She was right to have nerves. Curled up next to the dumpster was a young beaver. She couldn't have been more than 20, and she was most certainly dead. Beneath her fur, Judy could detect a gray tinge, and her lips had already begun to turn blue. Even if the girl wasn't dead, Judy would have guessed she wasn't far off from it. She was horribly thin for a beaver, most were known to keep at least a thin layer of some insulating chub.

She turned away, taking a deep breath to steel herself. Nick simply stood there, looking down sadly at the poor beaver. Judy guessed maybe he was more used to a sight like this, but she found no comfort in that. Nick had been on the force for even shorter than her; the fact that a scene like this didn't faze him didn't indicate a very happy past. Nick was her best friend, but he had honestly managed to remain mostly a closed book on some subjects. Judy's chest tightened, and something in her told her to give her foxy a partner a hug. He looked so sad, like he knew her personally, like he knew her and everything she had been through. Her heart to do it but she pushed the feeling down. _Later,_ she told herself, _Later I'll make sure he's okay._

Finally, Nick reached up to the radio clipped near his shoulder and keyed up to dispatch.

"Dispatch this is Officer Wilde. Just responded to the 10-25 on 33rd. Found the body on site, about to start our examination."

"Roger Officer Wilde, radio In with anything unusual." Came Clawhauser's reply. For all his quirks, the cheetah usually remained professional over the air.

Nick pulled out a set of purple rubber gloves, offering a set to Judy as well. They pulled them on, crouching next to the body to begin examining. Nick reached out and gently rolled the beaver onto her back, pulling her out of the tight curl she was in. she had obviously been roughing it for a little while; she wore jeans and a hoodie almost worn down to threads and her fur looked greasy and knotted. Judy swallowed hard as she got a better look at her. She looked like she may have once been pretty. She couldn't help but start to imagine her younger, happy in high school, studying hard, maybe looking forward to college. _How did you end up here?_ She wondered, looking at the blue lipped mammal before her.

"Looks like she's been here a few hours, at least. We should check for a wallet"

Nick's voice shocked Judy out of her little internal monologue. She glanced up at him, and saw him looking purposefully at her. Judy looked down and away, a little embarrassed. Even though Nick loved to crack jokes about 'emotional bunnies', he knew some things really did dig at her. She sighed and dug deep to find her resolve. She gave a slight nod and began to pat down the beaver.

In her back pocket, she found a small wallet. She wordlessly passed the wallet over to Nick as she continued her search.

"Janet Pinebough," Nick read, "She's got a Zootopian license but not a whole lot else. Couple of gift cards, couple of bucks. Doesn't look like a robbery with the cash and wallet still here. No obvious wounds…I'm thinking overdose here Fluff."

"I think you may be right there, Nick," answered Judy as she carefully pulled a small bag of powder and the typical junkie kit of a spoon and syringe out of the beaver's front pocket.

"Could've called that. Any idea what it is?"

"Hmm…actually no." Judy was perplexed by the little baggie she held in her paw. She had experience with almost every drug the streets had to offer at this point and this didn't look like anything she recognized. It wasn't a leafy little herb like nip, wasn't brown like Happytown Tar, but wasn't as pure white as she expected pounce to be. This stuff was a strange, baby blue powder that she didn't recognize. She rubbed the baggie between her little fingers, wondering. She flipped the bag over and saw a design on the outside. She squinted at it, trying to make it out. It looked like a crudely drawn knight's helm, with two swords crossed behind it. Judy cocked her head at that. She knew dealers often liked to leave a mark on their product but she'd never seen this one before. She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture before passing the bag over to nick.

"Hey Nick, have you ever seen this mark before?"

Nick shined his light on the plastic baggie, scratching his chin. Finally he said,

"Nah, I've never seen this before…must be some new guy on the market." He placed the baggie next to the body and stepped away. Judy followed his example; this case was pretty cut and dry. Nick radioed in to Clawhauser again and stated the facts and requested for the city coroner to come out to retrieve the body. He picked up the wallet and the drugs, placing them in evidence bags that he carefully labeled. That was one thing Judy supposed she had his years of hustling to thank for. After manipulating mammals his whole life, Nick had become particularly meticulous and careful, and this carried over to how he handled evidence. Judy could at least appreciate that particular outcome of her partner's previous life choices.

With the evidence safely secured, the two cops stepped out to stand by their cruiser. Judy's brow creased as she still wondered about the baggie they had found. Finally, Nick just had to ask.

"Still a little salty you couldn't identify that substance?" Judy looked at her partner and felt the tiniest flash of annoyance at his smug grin. She felt her irritation melt away quickly though. She knew what Nick was doing. He knew she hated calls like this. There was no one to help in this situation. The victim was already dead. The dealer knew _exactly_ what the stuff he was pushing could cause. The best they could hope for was to put the dealer behind bars before he managed to sell another batch that took another life, and even then, the users would just find another dealer. It was a situation no beat cop could ever hope to fix, but Judy appreciated her partner's attempt to make her feel better.

"Yeah I guess I'm getting a little rusty. Well bring the sample back the precinct and get it checked out, I'm sure they'll have more answers for us."

"Whatever you say Fluff, you're the boss."

Judy chuckled at that. Judy was _technically_ the senior officer between the two because she had been in a little longer, but it wasn't by much and besides Nick's joking it rarely came up between them. Besides, in the months they'd been on the force, both officers had proved they were more than capable of handling any challenge. Pairings between such junior officers were rare, but their arrest record made a strong case to Chief Bogo that they worked best together.

The two officers waited patiently in silence for the coroner. Their lights had scared off any curious locals, and the street was totally deserted. It was far from silent though, as sirens wailed in another part of the district. Somewhere else, some glass smashed and voices yelled at each other. Even farther off, Judy could hear the thump of the bass from a club downtown. Her mood darkened a little at that. The people inside would be drinking, dancing, and partying with no idea of what was happening in this part of town. By the luck of the draw, by some genetic lottery, they had been born into lives where they would never hide behind a dumpster, pushing poison in their veins, or duck down into the shadows, casting glances and curses as a police cruiser rolled by. Judy scowled a little as these dark thoughts clouded her mind.

'Hey," Nick said softly.

Judy looked up at him, willing her irritation to not show, to not lash out at her partner. He didn't deserve that.

"So I was thinking Carrots…any chance of a movie marathon at your place after our shift?"

And there it was. Judy looked up her partner and almost was a little choked up. This time, there was no smugness, there was no patronizing edge. He knew how Judy felt about this stuff and knew how to fix it.

Cheesy movies.

Even cheesier pizza.

Maybe a few well-deserved breakfast beers.

Judy was steadfast and managed not to cry. She knew her partner would be absolutely merciless with his teasing if he saw her crying. It wasn't the first time the two had dealt with a tough shift this way but it may have never been so necessary so fast. The first call of the night was usually never this rough.

Judy forced on a chipper smile and responded "Heck yeah, Slick. You're In charge of buying the beers this time, I got the last time!"

Nick faked a vicious dry heave before responding "Jeez, yeah, maybe if you call that carrot ale a beer! That stuff was poison!"

Judy laughed before tossing back, "Yeah, you can dump on my choice of beer as long as you want, as long as you never buy that absolutely _toxic_ blueberry cider again!"

The two laughed on the sidewalk, their emotionally taxing job temporarily forgotten. The two didn't realize it but they both had a special task. It was to keep the other one sane in this crazy world they lived and worked in, by any means necessary. One was essential to the other and to split them up would be to ruin the both of them, though they wouldn't know it. The officers just waited in the night, below their cruiser lights, under the sodium glow of an ancient street light.

 _Happytown, Four hours later_

The midnight wind swept down the street mercilessly, chilling the small weasel to the bone. Not like his species was very large in the first place, but a rough life and more than a few missed meals had whittled him down to skin and bone. He trudged through the night anyways, with one purpose in his mind; he had to re-up. This new stuff was making money like crazy. He could easily afford to skim a little off the top for himself. He had never had it so easy, he'd made more money in the past few weeks than he ever could've just moving his usual nip. He had to let his guy know he was pushing it and ready to get some more.

The weasel turned left into Friendship Park. It was a shitty little playground with some crabgrass soccer fields nearby, an obvious attempt by some long gone mayor to get the predator vote. Jokes on them, now everyone just came here to smoke nip and cause trouble.

The weasel headed towards the public bathrooms in the middle of the park. His mouth almost watered at the thought of picking up more of this stuff. If his guy was generous enough, he might even keep a fat bag for himself. He had made enough profit last batch, he could probably afford it. He licked his lips at the thought as he pulled open the door.

The wolf leaned casually against the sink in the grimy bathroom. He was wearing a nice jacket and scarf, looking decidedly out of place in the grimy public bathroom. Honestly, the weasel thought he was some kind of narc when he first approached him. He just didn't seem like the type to be pushing drugs, and who just walks up to strangers and asks them to help them with it? Now however, he didn't give a damn who he was or how he dressed, as long as he had some more of stuff for him. The wolf spoke right away, giving no time for pleasantries.

"Well, you called me here so it must be important. What the hell do you want?" the wolf asked lazily. He made no attempt to hide his disdain for the weasel before him.

"Hey man, hey," the weasel rambled, "That shit you gave me, that shit flew off the shelves! I need more, like, ASAP." The weasel had stepped forward, hands together like a man in prayer.

"Well damn," the wolf grinned, "I know its good shit, but I just got you a new batch yesterday. Shit should've lasted a week. How'd you manage that?"

The weasel grinned mischievously as he pulled his last baggie out of his pocket.

"Simple! I just used brand marketing my dude!"

He proudly held up his baggie of blue powder. The wolf's face instantly dropped into a blank stare. There was a silence before the wolf deadpanned,

"What…the FUCK...is on that bag?

The weasel answered nervously "Heh heh..hey man…I just saw that tattoo on your wrist and thought that was like, your sign or something you know? The dealers here, they love to leave a sign on the bag so the junkies know what's up!"

The weasel put on a sly grin and leaned in towards his conspirator.

"And hey…between you and me…I heard the last batch I sold, some little junkie beaver ended up dead. The lowlifes will be fighting in the streets to get our shit now, I got the strongest shit on the block!"

The weasel tossed his head back and laughed his heart out. As far as he was concerned he had the world at his fingertips. He didn't notice that the wolf didn't join in on the laughing.

"So this beaver…she died right?" asked the wolf

"Hell yeah, yes she did!"

"And she died…with a bag of my drugs…with your little drawing of MY tattoo in her pocket. Probably still had it when the cops rolled the body, huh? And you said just about every junkie out here knows you've got the stuff right?" His tone was light and casual, but the implications were pretty clear. Even the burnt-out weasel could feel the mood change.

. "Hey…" whined the weasel, "You should be thanking me!" The weasel began to back away from the wolf. This encounter was going very different then how he imagined.

The wolf smiled slowly, leaning down to get eye level with the smaller predator.

"Well, tell me Weaselton…how should I thank you?"

Weaselton's eyes went wide and he froze. He had lived his life around dangerous mammals long enough to know he was in serious trouble. He knew he only had one chance. He tensed to bolt for the door.

Before he could even twitch, the wolf's paw flew inside his jacket and drew out a pistol. With the ease of a practiced gunslinger he fired two shots in a blink, both rounds finding homes in Weaselton's chest. The weapon had a long tube on the muzzle, a suppressor which made it damn near silent, the loudest noise in the dirty bathroom being the shell casings bouncing off the tile.

Weaselton dropped, clutching at his chest with a gasp. He didn't even have the wind left to scream. It didn't take long for the last little bit of life to leave him. The wolf bent over his body, quickly grabbing the decorated drug baggie. Even if anyone heard the shots, no one was calling the cops in this part of town, but still, he didn't want anyone finding him in here. He didn't want to have to kill _two_ junkies tonight.

The wolf pushed out the door and began to stride purposefully. He really hoped this didn't complicate shit. Finding a new local to push the stuff wouldn't be an issue but the baggy with his tattoo made him at least a little nervous. Hopefully whatever cops found that beaver were the typical lazy doughnut munching type who would just chalk it up as another dead junkie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Wednesday morning was beautiful and Judy was enjoying it on her walk to the station. Yesterday had been her day off and now today she didn't have to be at the precinct until eight o'clock, so she had gotten to take her time and get some breakfast in the morning. Her less than pleasant first call on Monday night had left her in a funk but a relaxing day off had snapped her right out of it.

It certainly helped that Nick had made good on his offer of a movie marathon. After they headed home at the end of their shift, Nick had reappeared at her door an hour later, with a large veggie supreme with extra cheese and a sixer of her favorite pumpkin ale in paw. The first time he'd done that, Judy had balked at the idea of drinking at _eight in the morning,_ but slowly came around when Nick pointed out that a lot of mammals enjoyed a beer after work, and for a nocturnal mammal like himself, it didn't feel strange at all. Now, 'breakfast beers' after a tough shift were something Judy greatly appreciated, even if she didn't exactly tell everyone she met about it.

As Judy bounced along the sidewalk, she noticed a very familiar looking fox in blue walking ahead of her. Nick was walking slowly, like he usually did when nothing was rushing him. A mischievous thought ran through Judy's mind and she quickened her pace, making sure to stay out of the fox's sight. As she bounded up next to him, she hopped up and tossed a hip bump into the larger fox.

"Head on a swivel, Slick!" she cried spinning to a stop in front of her partner. Then, she realized Nick might have actually been walking _carefully,_ not just slowly. The fox flailed his free paw as the other precariously balanced a little carrying tray with two coffees. Judy brought her hands to her muzzle, eyes wide, as the fox stumbled, then found his balance.

"Jeez Carrots! What's with you and coffees these days? Trying to keep me from being my usual alert, high-spirited self?" the fox asked. He flashed a smug grin as the bunny obviously looked flustered.

"Hey! That last one wasn't my fault! I mean seriously, who expects bricks to just be flying around?" Judy crossed her arms, pouting.

Nick laughed as he took a coffee from the tray and passed it to his smaller partner.

"Just messing Fluff. Here, take yours before some other catastrophic accident puts it out of commission." After a moment, he added, "Figured you might need one after all that boozing yesterday."

"Nick I had three beers, over three movies, at like, _nine in the morning."_ She shot back.

"Just saying, I know you're a little bit of a lightweight…remember last time me and Wolfard managed to get you out to Blue Lights?"

Judy groaned at that. Her last trip to the local spot for the officers of precinct one had ended…less than ideal for her. Judy was no heavy drinker, and how was she supposed to know the carrot margaritas had double shots?

"Well, I definitely remember being in shambles the next morning." Judy answered grudgingly.

Both partners had a laugh at that and the rest of their walk to the precinct passed quickly as the two bantered back and forth.

As the two passed through the doors to the precinct they both instinctively turned to greet one of their favorite officers on the force, but the usual enthusiastic greeting never came. Instead, they saw the distinctly large cheetah leaning over the desk to talk seriously to a smaller mammal in front. A certainly _familiar_ mammal

"Duke Weaselton!" Nick barked as he walked up, making the weasel jump.

"What are you getting booked for today, Duke? Still hustling those cheap DVDs? Or did you get caught trying to 'collect money for the starving orphans' again?" Judy said, throwing air quotes around her second question. Then, she noticed the weasel wasn't in cuffs, and wasn't accompanied by an officer, something she was sure she had never seen before.

The weasel turned, looking slightly miffed.

"Hey, I'm not here for anything like that I swear!" His face suddenly looked anxious. "Look, I came here to ask for help alright?"

Nick turned serious at that before answering, "Duke I know we're not exactly enemies, we knew each other at least a little back in the day, but it's not like I'm going to pull strings and get you out of whatever mess you've gotten into."

"I actually already ran him Nick," interrupted Clawhauser, "He doesn't have any active warrants or open cases."

"I swear you two, I'm here to get help." Now the weasel looked even a little frantic.

"What's going on Duke?" Judy asked seriously, if still a little suspiciously.

Duke wrung his little paws for a moment, glancing between the three officers before slowly speaking.

"Alright…alright look, it's my cousin Frankie okay? He's been crashing at my place for a little bit…but he hasn't been home the past two nights. I'm getting worried."

"Duke…I know Frankie, he's a grown mammal, and he definitely makes some…questionable choices. A few nights out definitely isn't wild for him, he could just be out on a bender or something. Have you tried calling him?"

Judy wasn't surprised Nick knew the weasel's cousin, as he was so fond of saying he knew everyone. She decided to let Nick handle this for a minute.

"Believe me Wilde, I know but…this is different. I've tried calling and got no answer, and…and Frank's been getting into some more heavy stuff recently."

Judy's heart softened a little bit at that. Despite Duke's shady line of work and their history, it was obvious the weasel was really worked up, understandably so as family was involved.

"Duke," she asked softly, "What kind of stuff has he been getting into?"

"He…alright, Wilde you know how he makes his cash. I never go near the stuff but I know you know he sells a little nip to get by."

Nick nodded seriously at that, apparently deciding not to interrupt.

"Well he told me a few weeks back, some mammal came up on the corner and said he knew was selling, and asked if he wanted to start making real money. Frankie told him to beat it at first but then he told him how much money, and he agreed. And Wilde…" the weasel trailed off, looking nervous.

"He said this stuff was crazy. It's some new junk, the buyers around here haven't even settled on a name for it yet, but he said they couldn't get enough of it."

Nick and Judy glanced at each other at that. Neither needed to say it, but both were thinking about the drugs they had found on that beaver their last shift. Neither had been able to identify it on sight, and the lab hadn't gotten back to them about what it was. A new drug on the streets of Zootopia was definitely not something the city needed.

Judy pulled out her carrot pen and notebook and flipped to a blank page, ready to write.

"Did you get any information about the supplier? A description, a species, anything?"

The weasel looked down, crestfallen.

"No, he was super secretive about it, said he didn't even have a name, just a number to call when he needed more. The only thing he did mention was some kind of mark, like a tattoo or something, I saw him scribbling it on some bags. I really wish I could give you more, just…here, look,"

Duke dug a phone out of his ratty jeans and tapped for a second before turning the phone and showing the officer's a picture of a scraggly looking weasel, even thinner than himself.

"That's him, just…just keep an eye out alright? I think he might've gotten in over his head here."

He jammed the phone back in his pocket and stood awkwardly for a moment before abruptly turning and walking quickly for the door.

He stopped after a few feet, and spoke over his shoulder.

"I uh…thanks, you two." With that he turned and scurried out the door.

The two partners stood looking after him in shock. Neither had ever seen the weasel so genuine, or so nervous, at least not since he was dangling over 's ice pit.

"Wow." The big cheetah shook them out of their shock. He looked at the two officers with obvious concern. "I've never seen Duke act like that, I mean, I've never even seen him walk in here _willingly._ What do you think happened?"

Judy and Nick stared at each other for a second before Nick turned to answer.

"Don't know big guy…but probably nothing good. Hopefully I'm wrong but…" the fox trailed off.

"We should get going Ben, The briefing should start any minute." The rabbit apologized, pulling her partner towards the bullpen. Once they were out of earshot, she leaned towards Nick and whispered.

"Nick, this must have something to do with that beaver girl, I mean, the stuff we found, the marking on the bag…what's going on here Nick?"

"I don't know Carrots, but I don't like the sound of it. Come on, don't want to keep Buffalo Butt waiting."

With that said the two hustled off to the bullpen, both lost in thought with what this could all mean.

* * *

Their morning shift had gone off smoothly. They had only been to a few calls, easy stuff, and pulled over a deer with a busted tail light. As the morning rolled into the afternoon, Judy rolled their cruiser to a stop in front of one of their favorite lunch stops, the Golden Bowl. The noodle shop was quick and reasonably cheap, and somewhere they often managed a stop at on their shift. The two headed in the door to their usual booth, waving at the mammal at the counter as they went.

Almost as soon as they took their seats, a tall, lean tiger came over to take their order.

"Should I just start up the usual for you two?" she asked with a smile.

"That'd be great, thanks Mandi" Nick answered, warmly returning the smile.

"No problem, I'll make sure the chefs know its for our _favorite_ ZPD officers" the tigress purred, throwing back a cheeky wink at the fox.

Nick laughed more than a little sheepishly, before he grudgingly looked back at his partner, who was showing the definition of a smug look.

"Don't." Nick deadpanned.

"Well I'll be darned Nick," Judy drawled.

"Don't you start this Carrots." Nick shot back, narrowing his eyes.

"You know Slick…I'd almost say you and Mandi had a little… _thing_ going back there." Judy leaned in, giving Nick a devious look.

The fox thumped his head onto the table, sighing heavily.

"Carrots, I told you. We're not going through this again."

Judy laughed a little at her partner's embarrassment, but decided to take a little mercy on him.

"Oh come on Nick," she argued, "It's not even like it's a bad thing! Mandi is a heck of good looking tigress, and she's hitting on you every time we come in. What's so embarrassing about that?"

Nick lifted his forehead of the table, but still rested his chin and peered up at Judy.

"I mean, I guess it is flattering in a way…it's not exactly that I mind its just…she's not really my type."

"Oh…because she's a tigress?" Judy asked, honestly slightly shocked. She knew the whole interspecies thing was a touchy subject for _some_ mammals but she could really never picture a lifelong city fox like Nick having that kind of a hang-up. Even back in Bunnyburrow it wasn't totally taboo, just seen as a little eccentric.

"Well…yes but…no not exactly, it's…" Nick struggled, sitting up and gesturing with his paws, seemingly searching for the words. "I mean, it's not because she's not a fox. Its just…she's not what I would look for in a mate. Personally."

"Oh…well okay." Judy said skeptically, eyes darting away.

Nick sighed and flopped back down to the counter, clearly not satisfied with his own explanation.

"It's just…she's so…" he trailed off again awkwardly.

Judy looked at him, wide eyed for a moment before slowly finishing,

"…much bigger than you?"

The silence stretched between the two, both looking nervously at the other before Judy let out a sudden spurt of laughter. Nick's forehead slamming back down to the tabletop, his voice coming out muffled.

"Damn it Carrots. I _told you_ I didn't want to get back into this."

Judy tried to stifle her laughter, honestly feeling a little sorry for the sudden outburst at her partner's expense. As she managed to get it under control, she desperately tried to fix her mistake through the giggles.

"Oh Nick, I'm sorry, that was so rude, but I mean…seriously? This can't be some kind of masculine intimidation thing, right? I mean she's a sweetheart, and a _waitress_ for cripes sake! You're a cop, you do plenty of… _handling_ of mammals even larger than her."

Nick sat up, seemingly determined to fight through the embarrassment, his red fur surely helping to hide his blush.

"I never said that Carrots, I just said I wasn't exactly attracted to females larger than me. Who knows the reason? I just have a type I guess."

Judy laughed a little more politely, nodding along in agreement in an effort to ease her partner's hurt feelings. Then, the gears in her head started turning. ' _Well wait',_ she thought, _If he's not I nto larger mammals, and he's not only into foxes, is he into smaller animals? Maybe something as small as-_

Judy almost gasped a little, as she forced the thought out. Suddenly Judy felt embarrassed herself, and dropped her ears to hide her own blush. That was…certainly something she had never considered about Nick. I mean, he was her best friend, and her partner but…that was something different entirely. Even still, Judy thought back to her nearly fatal incident the other night, and the look of concern Nick gave her. That was normal for a partner, a best friend, right?

"Uh…you okay Fluff?"

With a start, Judy realized she had spaced out, and had probably been staring at Nick for thoroughly too long. The fox sat across from her, head tilted giving her a puzzled look.

"Yes!" Judy chirped, maybe just a bit too loud. "Yes, I'm fine I was just…um…"

As Judy stalled, she jumped again as the radio on her hip squelched to life. Officer Wolfard's voice came over the line, sounding tinny, but clearly anxious.

"Any unit, any unit, this is Wolfard, I have a 10-35 at Friendship Park over in Happytown. Male weasel, requesting back-up on the scene."

Judy and Nick both sat up straight and looked at each other. A 10-35 was another code for a found dead body, but this time, foul play was suspected. And the call was for a weasel.

"Weaselton." They both said in unison.

Judy radioed back that they were on their way and headed for the door as Nick spouted apologies at the confused looking Mandi, explaining about an emergency call as he paid for their uneaten meals. Both burst into the street and piled into the cruiser. Judy revved the engine as Nick kicked on the lights and sirens as the two tore off towards Happytown.

* * *

As the cruiser skidded to a stop in the parking lot, Judy looked around with a slight air of disgust.

"This is what they call a park?" she asked as she came around the nose of the cruiser.

Nick sighed, looking around sadly, seeming to take in the patchy grass, littered with trash and the rundown playground equipment. Judy flinched, and internally kicked herself. She forgot, again, that Nick most likely had spent some time at parks like this growing up. Not everyone got to grow up on the family farm.

"Yeah I suppose it is. Come on, I bet I can guess where our crime scene is." Nick replied as he headed toward a small concrete building on the other side of the park. Judy followed, and as they got closer, she noticed a small group of mammals, and an obviously blue clad police officer attempting to keep them back. As they reached the crowd, she saw the officer; a young male leopard she didn't recognize. The crowd wasn't violent, but was definitely starting to get uneasy, dark grumbling and the occasional shout thrown at the officer. The crowd parted, murmuring as the two officers approached.

"Afternoon, officer…?" the rabbit offered. "Rajeshin," the feline replied, "Wolfard's inside, you two should head on in."

Judy simply nodded but Nick hung back.

"What's with the audience?" he asked, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

"You'll see for yourself." The leopard replied with a shrug.

Nick shook his head, puzzled as he followed his partner inside. Only a step in, he almost bumped into her, as she had stopped just feet inside the door. He glanced down in surprise, and then back up, and between her ears he saw the scene that had apparently caused her shock.

"Oh…wow." The fox breathed, taking in the scene with alarm.

Before the two officers was a frighteningly thin weasel, laid out on his back in a dried circle of blood. The pool was nearly as long as the weasel himself, and easily twice as wide. The weasel looked bad, even for a dead mammal, like the body had sat for a while. But despite the gore, Nick couldn't take his eyes off the two neat, black holes in the weasel's chest.

"Nick," Judy whispered breathlessly, "those are bullet holes."

"That they are, Hopps." Came the solemn answer from the previously unnoticed Wolfard. The grey wolf stood off to the side, staring down at the weasel with seriousness. The veteran police mammal certainly understood the gravity of the situation. Firearms had been banned inside the city limits before Nick had been born, not even the police regularly carried anything more than a tranq pistol. Of course, some criminals still used them, some of the more powerful crime bosses even kept small hidden stockpiles of them, but the consequences for being caught even possessing one, letting alone selling or using it, were so steep that only the most hardened criminals used them for their serious business. The fact that a firearm was involved had just elevated this case to a whole new level.

"I think now you understand why I called in back-up." The wolf went on, "Mammal who called it in went running off into the park, telling anyone who'd listen that there was a weasel full of bullet holes in the bathroom, and it sure brought in some curious onlookers. Honestly though, in this place we're pretty lucky we even got the call. Body looks like it's been here at least a day or so, lots of mammals probably took one look and screwed."

Judy shook herself out of her shock, suddenly remembering the conversation with Duke earlier in the day.

"Did you find anything on the body? Any ID?"

"Nah, no ID on him." Wolfard answered.

"Well, I think we may have an ID anyways." Came the solemn answer from Nick. Judy looked back to see a strangely sad look on her partner's face. Though, she understood. The weasel on the floor was a dead ringer for the picture Duke had shown them. As Nick knew Duke better, he would likely volunteer to contact him and get him to come in and identify the body, which was a task Judy would not be overly thrilled for. She may have argued to do it despite her discomfort, but this looked like something he may want to do.

"The only other thing we found on the body was this." At that, Wolfard held up a small baggie with a small glass tube inside. Both officers recognized it as some kind of cheap pipe, but as Judy took the baggie for a closer look, she gasped and held it up to Nick's eyes.

The fox's eyes slowly widened as he looked at the pipe.

"Carrots…it's blue." He spoke softly. Judy nodded with a look, before turning back to the confused senior officer.

"Wolfard, once the Crime Scene guys show up, could we take this back to the station? I think it's linked with a case Nick and I have been working."

The wolf shrugged before saying "Sure, as long as you help my rookie out there keep the crowd back 'til they get here, be my guest."

Judy pocketed the baggie gratefully and the two officers headed outside. The crowd outside really proved to be no problem, it was just a crowd of curious mammals with a little less than total faith in the ZPD and nothing better to do. A few nasty looks and whispered insults were all that really came at them, so the three officers simply stood calmly at the door.

"So, Officer Rajeshin," Judy began eventually.

"Oh please, Officer Hopps just call me Raj." The feline interrupted excitedly. Judy sighed a little at that. She recognized the tone and mentally prepared herself for the leopard to start gushing about how inspiring a bunny cop was.

"Okay Raj, how long have you been on the force?" She tried again.

"Just over a month now." The leopard grinned.

' _Damn, he's even more of a rookie than Nick'_ Judy thought. Not that most officers wouldn't still gladly remind her that she was a rookie as well. She had Nick by three months, as he had taken the academy after her but she still wasn't even able to say she'd been on a year. As such, she realized she really wasn't one to rib the rookie, and decided to just smile back encouragingly.

"How do you like working with Wolfard?" Nick asked.

Raj grinned wide at that and Judy had to stifle a laugh at the rookie's excitement.

"Oh Officer Wolfard is awesome! He knows everything about this city, and how to be a cop, I'm learning everything from him! Well...everything I can." His grin faded a little sheepishly at that and he rubbed his neck.

Judy laughed lightly at that. Wolfard was a 15 year veteran on the force and older than even Nick by a few years. She had to agree that he probably did know just about everything there was to know about the job, but she was also sure it wasn't always a great day for a rookie when he was slow to learn. The old salt dog was a sweetheart once you knew him but at first he could be a little...abrasive.

"Don't worry kid, give it a little time and you'll learn everything you need and ol' Wolfy won't be any trouble at all." Nick said with an easy smile and a paw on the taller Leopard's shoulder. Then he cringed a little and pulled Raj down closer and whispered hurriedly.

"Just ah...maybe go ahead and _don't_ mention I called him 'Ol Wolfy', yeah?"

Raj laughed and nodded.

"Secret's safe with me Officer Wilde.'

Nick nodded gratefully as a small troop of mammals approached. They wore blue windbreakers with 'CSI' emblazoned on the back in yellow. That was Nick and Judy's cue to leave. They said their goodbyes to Raj and told him to tell Wolfard they said thanks again. The two hurried off to their parked cruiser.

Talking with the rookie officer had been nice, but neither had forgotten the crucial evidence stashed in Judy's pocket, and her foot rarely left the accelerator on the ride back to Precinct One.

* * *

Judy and Nick rushed into the lobby of precinct one from the parking garage. They slowed to a stop and Nick turned to Judy.

"Should we head straight to Bogo with this Carrots?"

The rabbit bit her lip for a moment thoughtfully, before answering. She wasn't disagreeing that this needed to go to Bogo. Judy was obviously one to try to solve things on her own but mammals killed by guns and strange new drugs on the street were things the chief needed to know directly.

"No, this is important, if we're bringing this straight to the chief we need all the facts straight. We should head to the lab and get this stuff analyzed against our last sample. Nick nodded in agreement and they peeled off towards the forensics lab.

Upon entering, the lab was dark. There were several tables full of high-tech looking gear, lab equipment and computers. The walls were lined with glass cabinets full of various solutions. In the very back corner, a cluttered desk was lit by a single lamp and was occupied by an extremely focused looking porcupine poring over a report.

"Doctor Proquill?" Judy began, approaching the desk.

The mammal in question shot up in surprise, adjusting his small bifocals. He squinted for a moment and then his eyes shot wide as he saw the pair.

"Officers! Oh thank heavens you're here, I was just about to call you!"

The officers in question looked at each other, puzzled, before Nick apprehensively asked,

"Ah...about what, Doc?"

"That unidentifiable sample you brought in the other day! Listen, I need you to keep an eye out for that stuff, I need to look at more...I need to be sure." He spoke breathlessly and finished with a solemn note, leaning against his desk.

Wordlessly, Judy reached into her pocket and pulled out the baggie with the pipe. The Doctor gasped and hurried around his desk, paws out towards Judy.

"Officer, no one has touched this correct?"

Judy was surprised at that, but answered no, police policy obviously prohibited direct contact with evidence to prevent contamination. The porcupine breathed a sigh of relief, and gingerly took the bag from Judy. He then pulled on some rubber gloves and quickly got to work.

Nick and Judy simply stayed back as the doctor was a flurry of motion. He pulled out the pipe, scraping off small samples of the residue and deposited those in countless machines and vials and solutions, occasionally checking one and scratching some notes on a pad. He worked for nearly half an hour without a word said between the three of them, before collecting all his notes and flopping down behind his desk. He breathed a heavy sigh, and then looked up warily at the two officers in front of him.

"Well, I have good news and bad news. You choose." He said flatly.

"Hit us with the bad." Nick spoke.

The doctor slowly leaned forward onto his elbows and stared at his notes before answering.

"Well. After cross checking both samples you've brought, Ive determined this isn't a truly _new_ substance, but rather a mix of a few. A majority of it was very high quality pounce. A smaller percentage was typical street grade black tar, like you could find anywhere in Happytown. The third component was just barely above a trace but...the third ingredient was mindicampum hollycythius."

Judy's reaction was like she had been slapped. Her mind reeled as she thought of all the awful possibilities. This stuff was out on the streets, right now! She could feel Nick go stiff beside her and knew he must be feeling the same thing. He beat her to punch in speaking his feelings however.

"Nighthowlers...what the hell doc?! I mean...people are _willingly_ taking this shit? Do they know what's in it? And how are we not having cases of savage animals all over the city?" His voice was full of raw emotion. Him and Judy had seen the effect of nighthowlers close up and it was terrifying. The fact that mammals would willingly take it...was inconceivable.

"Well that's the good news Officer...if my data is right, then the other compounds in the drug, specifically something in the black tar, is somewhat counteracting the effects of the nighthowlers. The animals affected most likely would not go savage."

Judy couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. That certainly _was_ good news. But a question still nagged at her.

"Well, what effect would they have then?"

The doctor sighed and leaned back his chair and stared up at the ceiling. He began to slowly list off his thoughts.

"Well...increased aggression, almost certainly...maybe increased physical abilities, fueled by increased levels of hormones, which could also possibly increase the senses, like hearing, smell, sight...basically the drug could take the user closer to being the hunting machine or master of survival they once were, and still retain their mental faculties."

Judy was taken back at that. She supposed she could see how something like that could appeal to mammals but still, she couldn't help but feel uneasy that mammals were buying this on her streets.

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" Nick asked, obviously anxious.

"Looking at this compound" continued the doctor, "I believe that in it's powder form, it could be ingested nasally and smoked. Furthermore, if prepared in a manner similar to black tar, it could also be injected, and I believe with some work, it could also be modified to be taken orally in a capsule form. With the variety of delivery methods, combined with the raw strength and addictive properties, all you need to know is that this possibly one of the most deadly street drugs I have ever encountered."

The air almost hummed with the gravity of that statement. Doctor Proquill was not known as a mammal to be overly excitable and he didn't often exaggerate. Both officers felt a pit in their stomachs as they thanked the porcupine and left the lab, with his data and results in hand. With no words spoken, both crossed the lobby to the elevator with nick hitting the button for the third floor. The doors slid shut and the elevator rose, still without a word from either. Until...

"Well, shit."

Judy turned to look up at her partner, who hadn't even looked at her. She realized he may not have even been talking to her. It was just a statement for the situation, and an accurate one at that.

"Yeah. Shit." She deadpanned. If Nick was shocked at her extremely rare use of a curse, he hid it masterfully. The elevator dinged open and both walked down the hall to Bogo's office, Judy reaching up to knock as they arrived. There was barely a moment before the Chief's deep voice told them to enter.

The smaller officers entered the office and looked up at their boss. The huge buffalo stared down at them with obvious frustration and a hint of confusion, obviously a little put out at the disruption.

"Didn't have any meetings planned for today. Should have known it would be you two knocking." The chief growled.

"Chief Bogo, we need to speak to you about something. I believe a lot of Zootopians are in danger. Mammals could die sir." Judy took a few steps forward, a pleading tone creeping into her voice. Bogo silently turned his glare to Nick, waiting for some smart remark. Instead the fox kept a straight, stoic face and continued,

"Please chief. Cases are starting to connect, and two mammals are already dead, at the least."

Bogo's demeanor seemed to crack at that, his eyes widening just the tiniest bit. For the infamous Precinct wise-crack to take such a serious tone, he'd usually expect the city to be burning down. He stiffly gestured for the two so sit in the chair in front of his desk.

Just hopped up as Nick hauled himself up by the edge of the seat. Both sat next to each other as Judy leaned across to place the folder from the lab on Bogo's desk. As he flipped it open, she started to recount the events of the past few days, starting from the overdosed beaver and ending with 's explanation of the drug and its effects with Nick adding in his own points. Bogo's face slowly darkened with each development. As she finished, Bogo stared back and forth between the two, before sighing heavily and rubbing the bridge of his large muzzle. He closed his eyes before fixing the two with a steely gaze.

"You two were right to bring this to me. Obviously, this is going to be...an issue for the ZPD. The greater problem at the moment however, is we have nowhere to begin to stop it. We have two very dead mammals and a suspected armed and _homicidal_ supplier with our only lead being a description of a mark of some kind by a very questionable source. Do you see my predicament?"

The officers both nodded, waiting for the chief to continue.

"Furthermore, I have to consider the media _shitstorm_ that is surely coming. They're going to go verifiably insane when they hear of a mammal being gunned down within city limits, and god help us if they catch wind of a new drug laced with _nighthowlers_ on the streets." The chief gritted his teeth.

"So, what I will ask you to do...is to continue doing your jobs. But!" The chief interjected, "You will do them _carefully._ Avoid attention, from the media _and_ from potential suspects. Clearly, there are very dangerous mammals involved with this. I won't have two of my best officers getting themselves killed chasing a wild lead. As it is...good work. Dismissed."

Nick and Judy both rose and saluted and left, a little shocked by the rare praise from the chief.

"Well...that went surprisingly good." Nick said managing his trademark grin.

Judy hurried onwards toward the elevator. She was happy with the compliment as well, but the case was still bothering her.

"It did but this isn't over yet. We've got paperwork to do...and then we're going to 'continue doing our jobs'."

Nick sighed heavily, looking downfallen.

"In that case, I guess I have a phone call to make."

As the elevator doors opened in the lobby, Judy headed towards the office while Nick dropped heavily onto a bench and pulled out his phone. She knew who he had to call, and suspected he would like to talk to Duke alone.

* * *

At her desk, Judy flopped into her chair, dejectedly. She swiveled her chair to look at the other desk in her shared cubicle, the one belonging to her absent partner. Even though it was what he wanted, it pained her to leave the task of calling Duke to Nick. It's not like he could've put it on speaker so she could chime in, but breaking news like that was never pleasant.

As she looked at the empty seat, her thoughts drifted from the call, but didn't drift away from her partner. As if she couldn't help it, her thoughts found their way back to their conversation during their interrupted lunch break. The flurry of activity had pushed it from her mind, but as she settled it shoved its way right back to the forefront.

 _I can't be thinking about that. He's my partner, he's my best friend, he's...Nick_ , said the voice in her head.

 _Exactly...he's Nick._ Another voice chimed in. She shocked herself a little with that, she had no idea where that came from. But somehow...it still made some sense. She thought back to all the time they'd spent together, which she realized was just about _all_ the time since they'd met, excluding after the press conference and his time at the academy. She knew officers on the force cracked jokes that they were inseparable, and some, particularly a hefty cheetah even imagined they already _were_ a couple but that didn't make it true! They were just friends, in a line of work that didn't permit much time for a social life, that's all. Perfectly understandable.

But then...she thought of other things that maybe could raise some eyebrows. She thought of the time after tough shifts that they had comforted each other. Breakfast beers and movie marathons seemed harmless but it was the fact that...it was with _him_. His presence there was what helped her shake whatever had happened. But did Nick look at it the same way? It always seemed to be _him_ there for _her._

Then she remembered one particularly unpleasant night. There had been a call late at night, close to the end of their shift. A neighbor had called saying she had heard noise coming from a local pool that had been closed months ago. Suspecting high schoolers loitering around, the two had driven over. They shone their lights around the place, seeing and hearing nothing. They checked through the small abandoned snack shacks and maintenance sheds, finding everything either locked up tight or empty. They were about to leave, assuming the teens had run from their lights when Nick's flashlight beam froze on the murky water. Below the few feet of filthy water was a small mammal.

Judy hadn't even had a chance to beat Nick into the water. Nick had a special soft spot for kits of all kinds and had been in the water in a flash, dragging the cub out onto the edge and starting CPR. The cub was unresponsive, and had obviously been under a few minutes, but Nick was relentless, desperately pumping his chest as Judy hurriedly radioed for paramedics, watching on in horror. Nick continued steadily, never breaking his rhythm. He was a machine, emotionless, panting and sweating. He didn't even stopped when the paramedics showed up, continuing on until Judy placed her smaller paws over his. They watched silently as the paramedics drove the cub away, leaving their emergency lights switched off.

When they walked into the precinct, Bogo had immediately come out and sent both straight home with an officer to drive them and orders not to come in the next day.

The water had been dark and murky. The caller never said exactly what she heard. It probably would have been too late even if they had spotted the cub right away. And all of that didn't change a thing for Nick.

His shell didn't drop once during the silent drive home. Judy knew it was a mask but she didn't pry, and the officer driving them home said nothing, even when she got out of the cruiser with Nick at his apartment. The silence had kept the whole walk up to his apartment door. Once inside, Nick walked across to the couch and flopped down, still in his soaked uniform. And proceeded to absolutely fall to pieces.

The explosion of emotion had only shocked her for a moment before she had rushed to Nick's side and grabbed him. She hopped up to the couch and simply grabbed him by the collar and pulled his head to her chest as he wrapped his arms around her as sobs rocked through the Fox. Judy had rarely seen anyone cry this hard and she had _never_ seen this much emotion from Nick. It was almost surreal to watch, but she didn't judge in the slightest. Neither spoke words at all, there were none to say. After what seemed like hours, the storm passed but neither moved, they remained exactly as they were until sleep took them both. The next morning, she had woken up to find Nick up and cooking breakfast, like nothing had happened, and the two never discussed it.

So she guessed there was no argument. In a job this emotionally taxing, some officers went home to wives and husbands or boyfriends and girlfriends. And Judy and Nick went to each other. _But what the hell does that make us?_ Judy asked, the thought echoing in her mind.

Judy shook her head roughly, as if trying to physically shake away her thoughts. She was probably just overthinking, over analyzing. This didn't have to mean anything and she had a case to focus on. She swiveled back to her desk as the door opened, and Nick shuffled in. His face lacked its usual smug look, but he didn't look overall terrible.

"Hey slick...how'd Duke take it?" Judy asked carefully.

"About as well as he could," Nick shrugged. "He certainly didn't seem surprised. He said he would be down to the coroner's to identify and make arrangements today. He also said thanks."

Judy nodded, tight lipped at that. An awkward silence only lasted a moment before Nick gave a wan smile and asked,

"So we have a case to crack, don't we?"

Judy returned the smile and opened her laptop, quickly bringing up the ZPD evidence database as nick walked behind her to watch over her shoulder. She quickly opened the case file from the overdose and selected her picture of the symbol on the baggie and ran it through the image recognition software in the system. If a similar image was logged anywhere in the ZPD database, this would find it. But after a moment, the system showed a red message saying '0 Results found'.

"Huh." Judy mused. She thought for a moment before going to the text search bar and typing 'crossed swords knight helmet'. Again, nothing. She continued trying anything combination of words she thought could describe it, getting increasingly desperate until she finally slapped the keyboard with a grunt of frustration and preceded to glare at the screen.

"Hey Fluff," Nick said slowly, "Doesn't Zoogle have image recognition too?"

Judy almost slapped her own forehead. Of _course_ Nick would think outside the box the ZPD gave them. She didn't dare look up to see his smug grin as she opened Zoogle and copy pasted the image file into the search bar. After a moment, the search finished and of course, had found thousands of possible results. Unfortunately none of them seemed to be what they were looking for. There were hits on the logos for detergent brands, MMA gyms, rock bands, you name it, but nothing that linked to some shadowy drug ring. Judy was about to give up, when one link caught her eye.

It looked like an unintelligible jumble of letters and characters, and had no description of the page attached. She almost dismissed it, but then curiosity got the best of her and she gave it a double click. The page loaded into a black screen with a video box in the center with a play button. She glanced up dubiously at Nick who gave her a bemused shrug and gestured to go ahead. She clicked play, and they both waited as it loaded.

The video played, and at first showed nothing but white fuzz. After a moment, the fuzz receded to show it was actually the fur of the ram setting up the camera. As the camera focused, Judy caught her breath. The video was obviously webcam footage of a ram in a decidedly shabby looking room. Papers, coffee cups and cigarette butts littered the desk in front of the ram and behind him, the wall was plastered with photos, newspaper clippings and papers with scrawls of messy handwriting. But in the middle of the wall, clear as day was the _exact_ symbol that had been on the baggie.

A moment later the ram launched into an almost manic monologue, and Judy and Nick both watched with rapt attention.

"Hey there viewers!" The ram bleated "If you're a repeat watcher, congrats and welcome back! If you're a newbie, listen up and take notes because you probably won't get to watch this twice! Today of course we'll be talking about...Black Knight!" The ram said this last bit with a flourish towards the symbol behind him. He plowed onwards gesturing dramatically.

"Task Force Black Knight started approximately seven years ago, as near as we can figure. Is was formed from members of the standing Mammalian Military Forces."

Judy frowned at that. She was only somewhat familiar with the MMF, and even then she probably knew more about it that most mammals. She knew that it was a small military force, made up from mammals not only from Zootopia but from other large cities and nations across the world, with each having members serving in a council to control it. The force certainly wasn't huge, probably about a 100,000 mammals, but even most of those weren't in fighting roles. The military mostly served as a peacekeeping force in some of the more unstable regions. That being said, they certainly participated in conflicts across the globe. She abandoned that train of thought to pay closer attention to the video.

"Apparently someone high up in the MMF got the idea to create a special group that could handle threats before they developed, could go places and do things that the MMF officially couldn't. To accomplish this, they recruited highly skilled, highly dangerous soldiers and created a completely black-list unit. No files on record, never showing their faces, not even using their names! But what happens dear friends, when these mammals find their own agenda? Pawnama happens, that's what!"

At this, the ram help up a blurry photo, seemingly cut from CCTV footage, of a group of mammals crossing some kind of lobby, like in a hotel. The mammals were all clothed in black, head to toe and were armed to the teeth, all carrying military grade assault weapons. Civilians could be seen scattering away from the black-clad troops. Judy felt a chill of terror shoot through her. What the hell was this?

"Forty-three dead, countless wounded. A nation plunged into chaos. And soon after this, Black Knight seemingly disappears off the map. But did they? I have reports of whole villages wiped out, witnesses saying they saw mammals in tactical gear in the jungle, even the cartels in the region abandoning whole areas of their territory, claiming to enter there would be suicide. So where is Black Knight? What are they doing? And the real question, _why are we letting it happen?"_

Just as the ram seemed ready to continue, the screen froze. Judy jumped and rapidly clicked the mouse. Instead of unfreezing, the screen flashed red, and displayed a single line of text across the middle: 'This account has been locked by an administrator.'

Judy stared dumbfounded before looking up at Nick, who stared back fearfully.

"Judy...what Hell have we gotten into?" she turned to Nick and saw him staring at her. His usual air of 'cool calm and collected' was gone. The fox looked terrified.

The bunny stared back into his eyes, not even sure what to say.

Then, Judy's desk phone rang, startling them both. She picked it up and gave a shaky hello.

"Hopps, you and Wilde need to get up to conference room 5. Now." Bogo growled.

"Sir, me and Nick just found...something, I'm not-"

"Hopps don't bother telling me what you found!" The chief roared. "You can show me _after_ we _both_ find out why the god damn _ZIA_ called my office looking for the two of you!"

* * *

In Sahara square things were business as usual. Mammals hustled back and forth on the sidewalks, traffic honked, and three stories up some construction workers were taking their break.

The crew sat at the edge of the third story overlooking the street, breaking out subs and brown bag lunches, relaxing and talking some friendly smack.

"Kid, I'm sorry but Hotwire is just never going away! I mean seriously, who uses bolt cutters to cut a live wire? You earned that nickname rookie!"

The crew roared with laughter as a young zebra looked down sheepishly.

"Hey Bill, you're laughing but don't forget, I'm still around to remember when they called you Nail Finder. How many times did you have to bandage those feet, huh?"

The mammals laughed even harder at that as the beaver unsuccessfully tried to quiet them.

"Hey Tice!" One called down to a mammal at the end. "You ever get yourself any nicknames? Maybe, I don't know...Tiny? Small-fry?" They laughed at that, but most still looked at the big coyote expectantly. He gave a small smile and shrugged.

"Nah, man. At least not any I'd let you all call me."

 **Author's Notes**

So this is chapter came out a lot better than the first, in my opinion. Definitely picking up the pace here a little, but things are really going to start taking off in Chapter three which is already in progress as this is being posted, and will be posted too as soon as its finished and edited! Well anyways, thanks for reading, and extra thanks to people who favorited or followed the story, it really motivates me to keep it going. Oh and also…y'all didn't already forget Tice right? Hope not. Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

At Precinct One, Nick and Judy sat in conference room 5 in what could possibly be described as the most awkward silence in history. The walls were white, completely undecorated, and the only thing in the room was the oval conference table ringed with chairs, with two occupied on one side by Nick and Judy and one on the other by an incredibly pissed off Bogo.

Judy nervously picked at her uniform, tapped her fingers, inspected the varnish on the table, anything she could do to distract herself from the chief, who she occasionally stole glances at. For his part, the chief simply sat with his elbows on the table, apparently trying to bore a hole through the middle of the table with his gaze. And Nick, somehow managed to at least _seem_ relaxed, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. Finally Judy couldn't take it.

"Sir-" she blurted out.

"Nope." The chief answered flatly.

"Chief please-" she protested loudly.

"No, Hopps! Not today!" Bogo shot back with a glare.

Judy wilted at that and sank back in her chair and the silence took over the room.

"I'm just here wondering when the waiter's gonna take our orders." Murmured Nick with a distracted air. Judy closed her eyes and braced for impact.

"Damn it Wilde!" Bogo roared, standing and slamming the table so hard it shook.

"Do you even understand what you've rolled yourselves into? How do you two continuously manage this? In ten years as Chief I have never been directly contacted by the Zootopian Intelligence Agency. The last time I even had them mentioned to me was when I took the job! And now you two have brought them right to the precinct! So all I want to know right now is how you still have the nerve to sit here and crack jokes?"

Judy didn't open her eyes, cringing from the tirade. She waited in horror, bracing for Nick's next wisecrack. She was spared by the door opening.

All heads turned and Bogo lowered himself into his seat, still simmering, as three smartly dressed mammals entered.

The first was an older buck deer with a folder and a notebook tucked under his arm. He was dressed in a gray suit buttoned over a white dress shirt. He carried himself seriously, and strode to the front of the room with an air of confidence, not even glancing at the officers. Following just behind was an Arctic Fox vixen and a striped buck rabbit both wearing matching blue suits.

Nick and Judy glanced at each other at that. It seemed a little strange, like looking at some kind of parallel dimension or something. If the pair threw Bogo off, he didn't seem to show it, keeping a blank expression. The trio walked to the head of the table, the deer setting down his folders, while the other two took up positions at either shoulder, hands clasped in front of them. All kept a serious face, looking at no one in particular.

"Good afternoon officers. Chief." The buck said, sliding into a chair. He spoke politely but with no good humor. The officers muttered a greeting while the chief simply nodded. The buck continued on, looking at the two officers.

"Now, I'm sure the chief here told you who we are, but I know you're wondering why we're here, and when I get to _that_ you'll probably have a million other questions. But you're not going to ask any of them until I'm done, and even then I probably won't be able to answer many of yours. Clear?"

The buck spoke with an air of obvious authority. He owned the room, and Judy got the feeling he was used to it that way. Even Nick knew not to joke as both just nodded.

"Very well. My name is Director Stagg. These two with me are agents Frost and Savage." He gestured first to the fox, and then the rabbit, then leaned in somewhat menacingly, "And my first question for you, is what do the two of you know about Black Knight?"

The question hung in the air, Stagg's piercing gaze not leaving Judy and Nick. Judy had to remind herself not to panic. They hadn't done anything wrong, they were investigating a case! She glanced nervously at Nick before carefully starting.

"Um...well they were...allegedly formed from the Mammalian Military Force..."

"...some kind of black-list group..." Nick continued.

"...top secret, highly skilled, with no identities..."

"...and...something about Pawnama?" Nick finished sheepishly.

Stagg kept up his hard look for a moment before sighing.

"Damn it. Sounds like the crazy old ram must've gotten his site up again, that's what must've tripped the firewall. Agent Savage, make sure to let the cyber guys know to take it down again. Should be in Officer Hopps's computer history."

"Will do sir." The rabbit answered shortly. Judy stared at the rabbit for a moment. He was a little taller than her, and looked at least somewhat built, for a rabbit. An odd pattern of black stripes marked his face and continued up his ears. Judy guessed it was a little hypocritical, but she couldn't help but find herself surprised by him. _Obviously the ZIA doesn't publish their hiring list, but a bunny? How did that happen? And a Fox too! Maybe the ZPD is a little behind the diversity curve._

"Well that answers one question. But explain to me why you were even looking for that info in the first place."

Judy and Nick both explained the events of the past few days, everything including the overdose, Duke's story and the murder in the park. The buck nodded as if that confirmed what he already knew.

"Makes sense, we heard about most of that through our own channels in the ZPD. Look I'm going to level with you two. You two aren't in any trouble. However, what you know about Black Knight is already more than most mammals, and honestly probably more than you should. I won't give out much more information on that, but you can ask questions if you'd like."

A million questions flooded Judy's mind at once, but Nick beat her to the punch.

"Sir, obviously these mammals are dangerous, but what can we expect? I mean, no officers on the street carry firearms, and the most any officer wears is a stab vest, we barely have _anything_ bulletproof in our armory. What if they start targeting cops? And what about private citizens? We've already had one murder."

 _Of course_ Judy thought. All her immediate questions had to do with how to go after these guys, where to start their investigation. Nick was always more worried about safety.

"We believe the shooting was an isolated incident, a situation that got out of hand. The group is typically extremely careful, we don't believe they'd do anything as high profile as attacking the police force. Also, we're hoping that this is the actions of a lone member, maybe one who broke off and is looking to branch out on his own. Furthermore, obviously, the threat of overdoses is real, and our primary concern is to shut this down before we lose more lives, but until then, deaths from their products can't be helped."

That answer didn't sit with Judy. She was not one to stand idly by while mammals died from poison on the streets.

"Sir, what _can_ we do then? We can't just let this guy keep pushing this trash."

Stagg turned seriously towards her, his face darkening.

"All you need to do, Officer, is to keep watching diligently for _any_ evidence that connects to Black Knight. And when you find it, you'll relay directly to Chief Bogo who will forward it to agents Frost and Savage who will be taking the case. Make no mistake officer, you two were not brought here today to be given some special authority over this matter, you were here for us to check what you know to make sure it wasn't too much. As you know the basics now, you're basically just two pairs of eyes on the street for my agents."

Judy took offense at that, and decided to push the issue.

"Sir, with all due respect Officer Wilde and I have been in danger plenty of times. I know these mammals are dangerous, but if we're in a position to make an arrest, we have to, it could save mammals lives."

" _With all due respect_ , Officer," Stagg shot back pointedly, "you have no _idea_ how dangerous these mammals are. Your partner already pointed out, you don't carry guns which means you have no training with guns. These guys have both, and will use them if you corner them. I don't want any unnecessary deaths on this, _especially_ having the poster children of the ZPD gunned down in an alley somewhere. So please. Do your jobs and let us do ours."

The director spoke with finality, almost daring another outburst. When none came, he turned towards the chief.

"Chief Bogo, my agents will get their contact info to you shortly. We hope to get this matter wrapped up quickly so we'll need full cooperation. From _all of us."_ He added with a pointed look at Judy. With that he stood, gathered his files and headed for the door before the chief could even reply. The two agents followed wordlessly, and no one moved until the door clicked shut behind them. Judy and Nick both looked dumbfounded at Bogo.

Bogo wasn't looking at them, however, and was instead glaring at the door, a thick vein pulsing in his neck. Judy's eyes widened as his thick hooved paws slowly unclenched and he swung back look at the two. As his jaw loosened she prepared for the ass-chewing of a lifetime.

"You two, listen to me." He surprised Judy with his tone, obviously still angry but clearly not at them. "You two will listen to the director's orders. That goes without saying. However. You will remember that you report to _me._ Understand?"

"Of course sir." Nick said seriously.

"I don't like any of this, this business with the ZIA coming into our investigation. Their jurisdiction does technically include the city, but they're mostly concerned with foreign threats. As you said, we've already had two dead Zootopians and I'm not going to just hand that responsibly over to someone else. So you two will observe and report, but you'll do it as aggressively as you see fit, and if you see any threat to citizens, you will step in."

A spark of hope lit in Judy. She was glad the Chief was on their side in their mess. She knew she wouldn't be able to sit on her paws with this, and at least now she had the chief's blessing.

"We understand perfectly sir." She said meaningfully.

"But...please you two. Do be careful. I know you two are qualified officers but the danger here is incredible. And to the ZPD, you won't just be a dark mark on a case file if this goes wrong."

"Don't worry Chief. I'll try to reign Hopps in and keep the death and destruction to a minimum." Nick said with a smile.

"See that you do Wilde. I'm glad you're watching her back." The chief replied with just the tiniest hint of a smile, leaving Nick a little taken aback.

"Same goes for you, Hopps. Make sure Wilde doesn't wisecrack his way into an early grave. Start by heading home for the day and try to absorb all this."

"No promises on that one sir, but thank you." Judy said, keeping a straight face. At that the officers both stood and saluted, which the chief returned with a tight-lipped smile. He watched the two leave, then as soon as the door clicked shut he slumped down tiredly, wishing desperately for the bottle of scotch he kept hidden away in his desk.

 _This is going to end badly._ He thought.

* * *

Judy and Nick changed into civilian clothes and now stood outside the Precinct both understandably confused. Between the mass of information dumped on them and the sudden day off granted by Bogo, neither were really sure how to proceed. That was, until Nick's stomach threw its own opinion into the mix with a loud grumble.

"Damn Fluff, I'm famished. Wanna hit Blue's for lunch?"

It was already late in the afternoon, and they had obviously missed lunch, so he didn't need to ask twice. The two headed down the block to Blue Lights.

The place was a favorite for the local cops, hence the name. The brick facade was plain, with two large frosted windows on either side of the door, with a large blue neon sign along the top, displaying the joint's namesake in cursive. Inside, the lighting was dim; the place really _was_ a bar after all. But besides the long bar along the left, the place had plenty of tables around and booths along the opposite wall, and for a bar, the food was actually pretty great.

As Judy and Nick headed towards a booth, she could already feel a little tension melt. There were a few familiar officers around, both off duty and on and they all tossed friendly waves and greetings their way. There was a catchy song playing over the speakers, one Judy didn't recognize, saying something about 'Living in the color', and 'spinning through the night' and Judy found herself even bouncing along a little as she found her way to the booth.

Nick and Judy had barely taken their seats when the bar's namesake, a raccoon named Blue walked over to take their order. Judy got the Caesar salad and Nick ordered himself a fish sandwich and a beer. Judy gave him a critical glance at that.

"What?" He defended, "It's almost five, and were off duty!"

Judy rolled her eyes with a grin and leaned across the table to speak quietly.

"Sooooo...what the heck, Nick?"

"My thoughts exactly carrots." Nick replied, sipping his beer before continuing.

"I can't believe this...drugs, guns I can even understand but the MMF? And the ZIA too? I thought they only dealt with outside threats, crazy terrorists from other countries, stuff like that?"

"That's...almost kind of what we're dealing with here Slick. I mean from the sounds of it, this _is_ an outside threat. These guys couldn't have been doing this here all along, we would've known."

"True. Still, I just can't wrap my head around it." He trailed off, then his eyes caught a mischievous glint "Hey, maybe if we play our cards right we could end up _in_ the ZIA."

"Oh shut _up_ Nick!" Judy cried playfully.

"Hey they already set the precedent! Didn't you see those two agents? They've already got a fox and bunny of their own!"

Judy had to give him that point, and she found herself thinking again to the duo from before. What were the chances of Zootopia's only fox and rabbit cops meeting two fox and rabbit agents?

"Still, Nick that whole agency freaks me out. I'm sure they do their own good for the world but I prefer doing mine on the streets wearing ZPD blue."

"Awww, what's the matter fluff? Don't you think I'd look _dashing_ in one of those ZIA suits?" Nick leaned in towards her with a suggestive wink. Judy suddenly found her mind unhelpfully empty of a witty reply as she pictured Nick in one of those fitted suits. _God damn Slick, that's just playing dirty,_ she thought. Before she could reply, Blue swooped in with their food and Judy hid her thoughts by throwing herself into her salad with gusto. Nick followed suit, leaving the two in a comfortable silence.

As the two started to finish up, Blue came over and dropped the check which Nick quickly snatched up, to Judy's protest. Nick didn't relent, just gave her a grin and quipped, "Gotta be quicker than that carrots." As he laid down the bills.

Judy pouted and Nick leaned back with a smug grin, tipping back to drain his beer.

"Drinking on duty? That's grounds for termination there, Foxy."

The gravelly voice behind Nick made him sputter and nearly spill a mouthful of beer on his shirt as Judy laughed heartily. He turned to see Wolfard grinning, with Officer Raj on his elbow.

"God Wolfard, you scared the shit out of me! And I'm off duty for the record. _And..._ Foxy? Really?"

"Yeah," growled the officer, "Almost as bad as 'Ol Wolfy', eh?"

The fox blanched and pointed an accusing finger at Raj.

"Traitor! You swore to me!" He accused.

The younger officer threw his paws up in defeat.

"He's a master interrogator Officer Wilde, he broke me like a twig!"

The four laughed at that, there was really no hard feelings between them.

"So what are you two doing off duty already?" Wolfard asked.

"Uhh…" _Shit!_ Judy was floundering. She obviously couldn't tell him they were sent home to consider the details of an international band of drug peddling super soldiers.

"Chief Buffalo-butt said something about me and Hopps here clocking too many hours, said if he had to book us for overtime he'd put us on parking duty for a month." The lie rolled off Nick's tongue smooth as silk. Judy was grateful, but also a little perturbed at how easy her partner could fib, even though it was to their advantage right now.

"Heh, yeah sounds like Bogo to me." The wolf chuckled. "Me and the rookie here just swung in to grab a bite to go."

"Hey Officer Wolfard," Raj chimed in, "Maybe once our food's out we could give these two a ride back to their in the place in the cruiser?"

The mood immediately changed. Officer Wolfard stiffened, his mouth a hard line. Judy's ears shot straight up. Surprise momentarily flashed across Nick's face, before it dropped into an emotionless mask. His facial expression matched his tone of voice as he slowly turned to the leopard.

"Now, Officer Raj. When you say _their place..._ would you be referring to _my_ apartment, or the one belonging to Officer Hopps?"

Raj looked confused for a moment and then suddenly horrified. He threw his paws up defensively and began to frantically explain himself...poorly.

"Oh! Oh, shit I...I mean I just thought...I didn't know-I...I mean Officer Clawhauser is always saying-"

At that, Wolfard's mask cracked and the officer began absolutely howling with laughter, throwing back his head. Judy groaned and stared at the ceiling as Nick just closed his eyes and seemed to resign himself to the situation. Wolfard wiped tears from his eyes as he placed a paw on the rookie's shoulder and spoke through his giggles.

"Holy _shit_ kid, I take back everything I ever said. You can stay my partner forever. That was beautiful."

"Thanks Raj, but I think we can manage the walk." Judy spoke, not looking at the ashamed officer. Wolfard led the still dejected Leopard away before another word could be said.

Judy and Nick just stared at each other. They both knew this would be the talk of the ZPD break room for _weeks_. Without a word, the two accepted their fate and swung out of the booth and started the walk home. To _separate_ homes.

* * *

Nick waved as Judy bounced up the steps to her apartment, the embarrassment from the bar mostly forgotten along the walk home. He stayed on the sidewalk, grinning up at her until she stopped and waved from the door and headed in. As the door shut, he dropped his paw and turned to head down to his apartment, just about ten minutes away.

He didn't mind the walk, not _after_ his shift anyways. But then he considered his morning walk, and how glorious it could be to slap that snooze button just _one more time. Heh,_ he laughed to himself, _Maybe there's something to be considered about that whole 'living with Judy thing'_. Then, his thoughts caught up and he realized what he was actually saying. No. No his walk to work was fine, no issues there.

He quickened his pace a little, hoping to get home before the evening chill really started to set in. Soon enough he found himself in front of his building, and then letting himself in with his key.

His apartment wasn't exactly luxurious, but he definitely had Judy beat. His front door opened into a small cozy living room complete with an actual TV instead of her little laptop. A kitchen was attached on the left with a little island and stools, and a hallway led off to his bedroom and bathroom in the back.

He set about doing his usual after work routine, tossing his dirty uniform to the laundry, setting out a new one and getting in a long shower. He stepped out and blindly grabbed a towel, only to find it was just barely bigger than a dish towel.

 _Judy's._ He thought to himself, remembering when she'd used his shower last week after one of their morning runs. He tossed the towel in the laundry as well and grabbed a more appropriate one. After he dried off and tossed on some gym shorts and a tee shirt, he wandered to the fridge to grab a drink.

As he stood in the cold glow of the fridge, searching for anything good, he pulled out a large bottle of some orange pulpy liquid. He spun it, reading the label. _Carrot juice. Also Judy's._ He sighed and tossed the bottle back, settling for some water. He took his glass and set it on the coffee table, flopping down on the couch and switching on the TV.

After a minute he shifted uncomfortably, feeling something underneath him. He reached back and pulled out the offending lump, and untangled a tiny sweatshirt, printed with a faded, but still smiling cartoon carrot and garish cursive that said _Bunnyburrow Carrot Festival 2012._

 _Dear god. Most definitely also Judy's_ the fox groaned as he tossed the sweatshirt to the side _. Wow,_ he thought _maybe the other guys are right about us sharing a place, she's definitely got enough stuff here._

 _Maybe you want them to be right_ said a smaller, somehow more smug Nick inside his head.

 _Shut it you_ He said to the voice. That was crazy talk. Him and Judy weren't like _that._

He busied himself with flicking through the channels, clicking past cooking shows and infomercials before settling on some show about fixing up cars.

As the lion on screen ranted about the power of this old Furd GT's new engine, Nick was distracted by some smell in his apartment. It was faint, something he might've missed if he wasn't a predator, but something about it was familiar and it made him feel comfortable and happy. Not that he shouldn't be comfortable in his own apartment, but this just made him feel... _good._

He sniffed deeply, swinging his head searching for the source. He could smell...lilacs maybe? Yeah definitely lilacs, and something else, something like another mammal, not a predator, something more like...

 _Oh._

 _Oh god no._

He turned slowly to the sweatshirt on the other side of the couch. He gingerly picked it up, like it might explode and gave it a light sniff. _Oh god damn it_ he thought.

It was Judy. That was the scent that was making him feel so good. He dropped the sweater with a sigh and leaned his head back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. _What the hell Nick?_

 _You could call her,_ Piped up that tiny evil Nick again. He didn't even dignify that with a response. He had literally just walked her to her apartment, it was already past five o'clock and they both had work in the morning. It made no sense to drag Judy over here just for to have to go home in a few hours so she could get some sleep.

 _Or she could just stay over_ …

Again his mind was working against him.

That was just crazy. Insane. Preposterous. Well, not totally but still. Sure, there were a few nights that they had crashed at each other's places, but excluding that one time with certain...special circumstances, they had always been accidental, with both passing out watching some movie and waking up way too late to go home, and they had always had the day off after. Asking Judy to come over, to _stay over_ tonight would be completely different. Nope, couldn't do it.

Just as Nick resigned himself to forgetting the idea, a memory fought its way to the front. It wasn't at his place, it was at hers, watching some crime show on her laptop on her tiny little bed. Nick had passed out against the headboard somewhere after the first episode, but now he found himself woken up by the glare of the laptop screen, the show long since over and the screensaver coming on. He had moved to go close the cover when he felt a weight on his chest. He looked down and felt not a tug, but an absolute yank on his heartstrings. Judy had passed out as well, and whether intentionally or not had curled herself into a ball against him, her head resting on his chest.

He'd never say it out loud for fear of bodily harm, but in that moment with her curled up, looking so peaceful, her soft breaths moving the fur of his neck, she was just so god damn _cute_ it could've broken his heart. Moving was absolutely out of the question. Instead, he just looped an arm over her, pulled her a little closer and let sleep take him again.

Of course, in the morning she'd unceremoniously woken him up with a poke to the nose, but he still remembered waking up that night. _That...is something I wouldn't mind. Something I could even get used to_ he mused.

He pulled out his phone and typed in his lock code, but then paused, his thumb hovering over his speed dial for her. He couldn't do it. As much as he wanted to, as soon as he really tried, fear gripped him, fear of everything. What if she took it the wrong way? I mean it was pretty easy to misinterpret asking someone to come stay the night. What if it drove her away? What if she thought he was being romantic, and this was some deep hidden feelings for her, rising to the surface?

 _Oh shit._

What if that's exactly what it was?

Nick threw his phone on the couch, taking a few quick breaths. That settled it, there was no way he was doing that. It was too dangerous, there was clearly too much he hadn't even figured out about _himself,_ let alone Judy, for him to be asking that.

Well, at least tonight.

The rest of Nick's night dragged by, until he eventually forced himself into bed. _Alone.  
_

* * *

As their work week went on, their job seemed to go back to normal. There weren't savage mammals rioting through the Rainforest district, the clinics in Happytown weren't overflowing with more than their _usual_ amount of druggies, and there weren't any black-clad Stormtroopers gunning each other down in Tundra Town. The media had gotten a little up in arms over the shooting, but even that was starting to settle down. And the peace was starting to drive Judy Hopps insane.

Judy sat forward on the edge of her seat in the cruiser, gripping the steering wheel. As the heat pumped out of the vents, she leaned forward and wiped the condensation off the windshield and stared out into the whiteness of Tundra Town, and still saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Carrots, you gotta relax." Nick said from the passenger seat.

"I'm fine." She shot back. She hadn't even bothered to break her vigilant watch to look over at him. Nick paused a moment before trying again

"Seriously, you need to give it a break, you've been getting more and more tense for days. I mean come on, were parked in front of a damn Snarlbucks, I seriously doubt one of these guys is gonna come jumping out from behind the trash can."  
Judy shot him a venomous look, then noticed how he was looking at her. He was joking around, like usual, but she could see an edge of real concern creeping in. She sighed, feeling her irritation at him slip away. She shouldn't be lashing out at Nick just because she was frustrated, and he was probably right after all.

"Nick, I know that it's just…I hate feeling so useless. We know these guys are out there, right now, and there's nothing we can do." She paused for a moment, tapping her tiny fingers on the wheel. "Did any of your contacts get back to you? With anything?"

Nick fought to keep from rolling his eyes, his own irritation starting to rise. This _probably_ wasn't the hundredth time she had asked him, but he stopped counting a while back.

"No, Fluff, they have not. I told you, I didn't have the best contacts for that kind of business, even back in the day, and the ones I did aren't very inclined to speak to me now."

Judy gave a little groan at that. She couldn't fault him for not trying though; she knew Nick had been trying to get a hold of some of his old contacts and subtly ask if they had heard of anything unusual on the streets recently, but he had told her long ago that he had never been into drug dealing. At most he might have known a guy, who knew a guy, who might be able to point you in the direction you needed. But when you were wearing a cop's uniform, a lot of those guys suddenly knew a lot _fewer_ guys. Finally she breathed a deep breath and let off the wheel, slumping back into her seat dejectedly. The two sat silently as the evening traffic rolled by through the snow.

"Hey Carrots," Nick said softly, "I'm jonesing for a coffee…will a double caramel mocha help your mood at all?"

Judy gave him a small smile and a nod. It was a little gesture, but she appreciated it anyways. Nick popped the cruiser door, letting in a blast of cold air and slid down to the snowy pavement heading for the coffee shop. She watched him trudge through the snow, hunching against the cold until he went inside. She did feel a little better already, if only because she felt so lucky to have her partner. She knew her frustration was useless but she just couldn't help it. She knew, without a doubt that her and Nick were the best mammals for this case, they just needed a tiny clue, even a shred of a lead and they could crack this open. They were practically famous for it around the precinct, between Nick's street-smarts and her own dogged investigative methods, they had managed to blow open cases that stumped even the ZPD's detectives.

The Nighthowler case was just the start, they had managed to follow that up by taking down a bank heist crew when she had noticed some of the stolen bills popping up stained with white ink. Without that connection, the cops would've kept searching for a band of zebras, instead of the horses who were sitting pretty counting their stolen cash. And of course, no one would've suspected a rhino of making counterfeit Volex watches if Nick hadn't known a certain rat on his third strike in Little Rodentia who was willing to point some fingers. Together, they could solve anything. They just needed somewhere to start.

Suddenly, Nick burst out of the store, hustling through the snow with coffees in paw. Judy noticed his urgency right away. _Oh god, please don't tell me he found another barista who doesn't appreciate his humor_ she thought. That particular incident had earned her partner a permanent ban and a nearly scalded tail from a really nice coffeehouse in the Rainforest district. Nick came around to his door and awkwardly pulled the handle while balancing the two cups. He hopped in and quickly placed the cups into their cup holders.

"What's the rush Slick?" she asked.

"I may have spoken too soon. Check this out." He said, tossing his phone to her. She caught it and read the screen, seeing a text message from a contact labeled 'Toot-toot'. _Finnick_. The message read, 'Nick. Need to talk to you. Pick me up on Fifth by Charlie's.' Judy read the message and felt a smile slowly spreading on her face. She looked up to see Nick sitting there with his smug turned up to 100.

"Looks your foxy partner might be saving your tail again, Fluff."

Judy just shook her head as she started up the cruiser. _Looks like he might be_ she thought.

* * *

The cruiser sped down the street in the much warmer climate of Happytown. Judy wasn't sure where Charlie's was at, but Nick seemed to know exactly where they were going and was giving directions as they went. Finally, Judy saw the street sign for Fifth, and Nick told her to make a right. After a minute, Judy could see a bright green neon sign lighting up the sidewalk. It was supposed to read 'Charlie's Wine and Spirits', but with half the letters burned out it read more like a jumble of letters.

"This is where he wanted to meet?" Judy asked incredulously. Nick just nodded, craning his neck to scan the sidewalk. Judy looked too, but couldn't see any sign of the tiny fox. She was just beginning to worry he had skipped out on them when Nick suddenly chuckled.

"Oh, I know where he is. Kick the lights on for me and pull up in front." Judy was a little skeptical at that but she did as he asked, gliding to a stop in front of the store with her blues on. Nick jumped out immediately, pulling his flashlight out and walking just past the store, shining his light into a narrow alley next to the store. Judy followed behind, thoroughly confused, until his beam landed on a small form leaning against the bricks.

Finnick was sprawled out, apparently unconscious against the wall. Judy gasped and began to rush forward until she noticed the green bottle clutched in his tiny fist. Suddenly the pieces clicked. _Are you kidding me? He tells us to meet him and then gets blacked out in an alley?!_ She was about to convey her disgust to Nick when he calmly walked up to fennec and casually gave him a light kick on the leg.

"Hey there big fella. Heard there was some bum back here who had a little too much to drink, you seen him around anywhere?"

Finnick sat up blearily, his eyes only half-opening and slurred something incoherent as the bottle slipped from his paw. Nick just laughed again and bent down, taking ahold of one tiny wrist.

"Officer Hopps, would you mind helping me get him to the cruiser? I'm thinking there's a mama fox somewhere who may be very worried about this guy."

Judy bent down wordlessly, her anger being replaced with confusion. Nick showed no concern for the situation, and hadn't even acted like he knew the smaller fox. She grabbed his other arm, and the officers hauled him up between them easily, and dragged him back to the cruiser. Nick popped the back door with one hand and they muscled him into the backseat together. Once the door was solidly shut, they returned to their seats. Judy buckled up and spun to give a strong word to Nick when a deep voice growled from the backseat.

"Really Nick, a mama fox? And I dare you, I god damn _dare you,_ call me big fella one more time"

Judy spun in her seat to see a very much awake and very pissed off fennec fox in her backseat. She turned, open mouthed to Nick, who shrugged.

"A guy like Finnick can't exactly afford to be seen getting into a cop car _willingly_. Bad for business you understand." Nick explained, ignoring the fennec's indignation.

"Which means you should probably get driving, Bunny." Finnick grumbled from the back.

Judy shook her head as she dropped the cruiser back in drive and pulled off. The attitude definitely wasn't new from Finnick. She actually liked the little mammal, and she knew she probably owed him for telling her where to find Nick all those months ago, but she wasn't sure he had ever really warmed up to her. Maybe it was because she was such a straight-laced cop, or maybe he felt she stole his hustling partner. Whatever it was, it seemed to her that Finnick always kept her at an arm's length.

"So Fin, you said you needed to talk to me, what do you got?" Nick asked, looking hopefully to the backseat.

"Well…I mean it could be nothing. I was just thinking about what you said, you know, keeping my eyes open for anything strange…" the fox trailed off, suddenly seeming unsure.

"Please Finnick, anything you tell us could potentially save mammals lives." Judy was nervous to make it sound so serious. She was worried that Finnick would start getting curious and ask questions about the case, but he simply looked at her and gave a little nod.

"Okay…okay so, I've been noticing some changes going on around the streets recently, starting maybe a month or so back. Just little things, like, stuff like a mammal who's usually broke as a joke suddenly flashing cash, some local meathead bruisers not patrolling their usual corners. And some of the low-level guys working for the crews haven't been looking for the usual jobs. No one who's really in the gangs, mostly just street punks that guys like and the other bosses would use for some petty work. It's just…there's a weird feel in the air, ya know? Anyone who's got a nose for that kind of thing is on edge now."

Judy's nose twitched as she processed that. She knew better than to question the instincts of the small fox. He had been in the underbelly of Zootopia even longer than Nick had, at this point it was practically his natural habitat; if anyone could sense something going on in the streets it would be Finnick. And on top of that, what he was saying made it sound as if there was a new player out on the streets doing some recruiting. They had already known there was a new face in the drug trade, but the fact that they could be bringing in locals, maybe building up muscle for a crew, was definitely concerning.

Nick leaned towards the backseat, now all business.

"Is that it Finn? Do you have anything concrete we can go on, any names of guys who quit working for the local crews, or one of these suddenly rich mammals?"

"Not really, I don't know every lowlife personally ya know." Finnick said this with a pointed look towards Nick. Judy grimaced at that. Even though Finnick was one of Nick's only real friends, he still would almost never drop another mammal's name. Judy guessed when you lived like he did, for as long as he had, some rules became unbreakable.

"Even if I _did_ have names," he continued, "I'm not sure what good it would do. All these guys are suddenly tight-lipped all the damn time. Mammals are buying the whole bar a round, or quitting their day jobs, but won't say a word about where the money's from, or how they suddenly they don't need any extra employment. Well, except…"

"Except what, Fin?" Nick probed urgently.

"Well there was a night, a few nights back over at Flanagan's Pub. I was there getting a drink, and there was these three guys there, a bobcat and a couple hyenas. I've seen them before, they were basically just some local crooks, but tonight they were balling out, nice watches, drinking top shelf, the works. So anyways they were at the end of the bar drinking like fish when the bobcat started harassing a couple raccoons. The raccoons basically just told him to piss off, and the cat just flipped. He was piss drunk and started yelling about how their 'new friends' were gonna straighten them out and that 'they had no idea who they were fucking with'. But as soon as he said it, his hyena buddies seemed real nervous. Thought that was weird, but I didn't give much of a shit anyways and the dude was pissing me off, so I went outside for a smoke. And this is where it gets kinda strange."

Judy turned an ear towards him to make sure she didn't miss anything. Nick leaned in, listening intently.

"So I'm outside smoking when this car pulls up. Nothing fancy as hell, just a black sedan, but just about _everything_ was blacked out. The tint on the windows looked damn near like _ink_ and I'm pretty sure they had their license plate bulbs covered, because I couldn't even see the plate number. This thing definitely wasn't some taxi or a Zuber. And just about as soon as the car parks, those two hyenas come busting out the joint dragging the bobcat between them. Dude looked like he was about a half a drink away from a coma. But when the window rolled down, the cat absolutely tweaked. He started trying to pull away from his buddies, and when they opened the back door he practically kicked the door frame to keep himself out the back seat, but the two wrangled him in and the car took off."

The only noise in the cruiser was Nick's pen scratching for a moment as he jotted down some details. Then he looked back to Fin.

"You said the window rolled down, did you see anything when it was down?"

"Yeah just a little bit though, a paw on the wheel and maybe a little of the muzzle but the driver definitely looked like a big canine, like another hyena or a wolf maybe, with real dark fur."

Judy's heart absolutely leapt at that. This all sounded like a kidnapping and with what Finnick reported they had a possible suspect and at least a description of a vehicle. They had enough to make a case! Even if it ended up having nothing to do with Black Knight it was exhilarating to be working towards something instead of just running blind.

"Finnick this is some really great information. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it." Nick said, seeming 100% genuine.

"Yeah, it's whatever" he grumbled in reply, "Just take me to that parking garage over near the entrance to Tundra Town, that's where I left the van."

"No problem pal." Nick replied pleasantly. He went on to talk casually with Finnick, asking how he'd been and how the hustle was treating him. Finnick seemed to loosen up a little, but still stayed away from the specifics, tossing an occasional glance at Judy which she caught in the rearview. Judy understood his caution, but really didn't feel that it was necessary. She was willing to bet not _everything_ Fin was involved in was legal, but she didn't feel very inclined to bust Nick's friend anyways.

The ride was short, and the two chatted right up until Judy pulled up to the deserted top floor of the parking garage, next to Finnick's bizarrely decorated van. Nick jumped out and opened Finnick's door, but the smaller mammal paused for a moment, looking like he was struggling with something he wanted to say. Finally he began to spit the words out all at once.

"Listen Nicky, I don't know what you're investigating or why you're so interested in this shit but…just watch your ass out here. And _you,_ " he said pointing at Judy, "you better watch it for him. I've seen this before, whenever the streets start feeling like this, things tend to start to get pretty dicey. So…just watch it." With that he hopped down and walked to his van, slamming the door and peeling out down the ramp. Nick watched him go and then climbed back into the passenger seat.

"That was some good info Nick…should we call it in to Bogo?"

Nick checked his watch and thought for a second before answering.

"Nah, shift's almost over. Head back to the precinct, we'll tell him before shift change."

Judy agreed and headed back towards Savannah Central. The two animatedly discussed everything Finnick had said as she drove. They both shared the feeling that someone was putting together a new crew, and the possibility that it could be led by a member of Black Knight was especially troubling for them. A highly dangerous mammal loose on the town was bad enough, but one that was leading a crew of mammals apparently terrified to rat out their new boss only further complicated things. As they entered precinct one, the only bright spot they could agree on was that they were definitely closer to closing a case then they were when they started their shift.

Nick only had to knock once before Bogo told them to enter. The chief was sitting at his desk, but it was mostly cleared off, obviously the Buffalo had been getting ready to head home for the night. When he saw the two, he sighed, a dark look on his face.

"Get in here you two, and shut the door behind you." The officers complied and took their usual spot in the single large chair in front of Bogo.

"I assume you have something to report?"

The two both nodded and launched into an explanation of what Finnick had told them. Neither specifically mentioned their source, and Bogo knew not to ask, and only spoke to clarify some points along the way. When the two were done, Bogo leaned back and regarded the two with a solemn gaze.

"This…is interesting information. I most certainly share your concern with the possibility of a new gang power on the rise. I suppose I will have to pass this along to our… _ZIA counterparts..._ " the chief said with only a little contempt, "However I'm not totally convinced that this is related to their investigation. What I am certain of is that this is a clear eye-witness report of a possible kidnapping of a Zootopian citizen, and I expect you two to investigate it as such, starting tomorrow. I'll make the call to the agents tonight, you two head home and get some rest."

The two saluted and left, heading back towards the elevator and home.

"I suppose we'll have some work to do tomorrow, huh Carrots?" Nick said with a grin.

"I suppose we do, Slick." Judy said, matching his own smug.

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
Quick Ninja edit here to get my author's notes in. So Chapter three didn't turn out quite as action packed as promised. It was supposed to, but as i was writing the story just kinda developed on it's own, and suddenly it felt like the Chapter was just dragging on too long. So I've tried to make it up to y'all by adding Chapter Four here in the same night! Well, anyways, enjoy!  
Oh, and did anyone catch the reference to one of my favorite fics earlier in the chapter? **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Judy woke up with a renewed sense of purpose. She slapped a paw to her alarm the moment it went off, and shot out of bed to throw on her uniform. She was practically buzzing with the prospect of following the lead her and Nick had found. Well really…she was usually buzzing for work every day but she couldn't remember feeling like this since her very first day. She picked up her phone to clip it onto her belt and briefly considered calling Nick. He had only ever overslept twice, and had still managed to make the morning brief, but today wasn't the day to be dealing with that. She disregarded the idea as she hustled down the stairs of from the third floor.

When she pushed open the door to the street, she was pleasantly surprised to find her concern was completely misplaced. Nick was not only awake, he was leaning against the steps of her apartment, coffees in paw, smiling lazily at her.

"Hey there Fluff. Getting a late start today, hmm?"

Judy's heart swelled a little with emotion. _This dumb fox,_ she thought. She forgot sometimes just how lucky she was to have found Nick, no matter how much he teased her. This time, it was Nick's turn to be pleasantly surprised as Judy zipped down the stairs and wrapped the fox in the tightest hug the little bunny could manage. Nick tensed with shock, and then relaxed, awkwardly wrapping his arms around the bunny with his coffee-laden paws.

"Oh jeez, okay, okay. God, you bunnies so emotional, it's just a coffee!

Judy gave no answer.

"...Um….hey, carrots…don't we have a case to get working on?"

Judy still had her head firmly buried against the fox's chest.

"Yes, we do."

"So uhh…shouldn't we-"

"Shut up. Let me have this."

"Very well."

Eventually she _did_ let go, and Nick handed her her coffee with a chuckle, shaking his head. Judy ignored him as she sipped her beverage. Today was going to be a good day, she could feel it.

* * *

Judy resisted the urge to slap a paw to her forehead has she traced a route on the map for what seemed like the _thousandth_ time. She was sure that wouldn't do anything to help the situation between her and the rather irritated, rather _large_ Bullivian tourist who was holding the city map. Apparently, the bull only knew enough English to ask ' _Rainforest, where?',_ andJudy's own knowledge of Spanish was pretty much limited to the words for Hello, Goodbye, Thank you, and _cheese._ Bunnyburrow public education had certainly _not_ prepared her for this interaction.

Finally she headed back to the cruiser, worn out from the conversation as the bull headed off in _hopefully_ the right direction. She hopped into the cruiser and slammed her head against the headrest with a long, drawn out groan.

"Nick, you are handling the next lost tourist who wanders up with a map. I'm officially tapping out."

Nick chuckled from his seat, smiling coyly at his partner.

"Oh come on _Pelusa,_ is the language barrier really too much for you?"

Judy was not a violent mammal. She certainly didn't take pleasure in the pain of others, and had never had a murderous thought in her life. But in that moment, she believed she could've _killed_ Nick Wilde.

"Nick. You wouldn't happen to…speak _Spanish_ …would you?" she fought to keep her eye from twitching as she stared at her partner in the passenger seat. Apparently unaware of the imminent danger he was in, Nick answered casually staring out his window.

"Ah well, I don't know if you'd call it _speaking_ per se, but you don't get to hustle in one of the biggest cities in the world without picking up a little of some languages, here and there."

Nick turned with a smug grin to see his tiny partner already unbuckled and crawling over the center console with violence written on her face.

"Wait, Wait! I lied, I used Zoogle translate! The coffees, Carrots remember all the coffees! Don't kill me!" He pleaded as he rapidly retreated as far as he could from the enraged bunny. Judy halted halfway across the cruiser's cab, giving a cold death stare for a second before sliding back down into her seat, crossing her arms in a definite pout.

"Don't kid like that like that right now Nick. I'm not in the mood." She said with a sour tone, staring out her window.

"Carrots-" Nick started.

"No, don't 'Carrots' me right now Nick! This is ridiculous! Bogo told us just last night that he wanted us to investigate that bobcat's kidnapping, so why would he station us in Savannah Central? We've been here all day and we haven't accomplished anything. Why not put us in a high-crime district like Tundra Town or Happytown? I can almost see the Precinct from here! How are we ever supposed to investigate while we have to deal with tourists coming up and asking for directions every ten minutes? It's craziness!"

Nick let her finish her rant, knowing not to interrupt. This was rare for his little bunny partner. Sure, she got frustrated a decent amount, but a full-fledged pouting rant was not a good sign. Admittedly, he wasn't thrilled about their posting for today, but he knew the Chief probably hadn't purposefully stuck them here. It was just their turn to pull a shift in the tourist trap and switching them with some other officers could've raised some eyebrows. Still, he had to find a way to fix this soon if they wanted to accomplish anything today. He brainstormed quietly for a minute then came up with a thoroughly devious idea.

"Hey Hopps, did you see Fangmeyer at the morning brief today?"

"Yeah he was there. Why?"

"Just wondering." Nick replied, taking out his phone. After a minute he clicked a contact and set the phone to speaker. It rang for a moment before a deep voice answered.

"Go for Fangmeyer."

"Hey buddy, it's Wilde."

'Nick? You know…my cruiser has a radio as well. Would've been just as easy to just call me on that."

"Yeah I know, it's just I'm so bored over here in Savanah Central. Say, you're on a patrol route today, right?"

"Wilde I don't know where you're going with this, but if you think you're gonna con me into dealing with the masses over there in the park you're dead wrong."

"Ah damn, I guess you know me too well. Guess I'll just have to find another way to amuse myself. Maybe I have some games on my phone…oh! Or maybe I could just watch some old videos I have saved on here."

Judy looked over at the fox. She was still annoyed, but her curiosity was getting the better of her. There was a pause on the line before the tiger answered in a hushed voice.

"Damn it Wilde, you promised you deleted that shit!"

"Hey I couldn't help myself! I mean seriously, you were hitting those moves like crazy! Maybe if I spread the word around, maybe got it on a few social media sites, Gazelle herself could even see it! We'll have you in a pair of those sparkly shorts in no time!"

Judy's ears shot straight up, mouth hanging open.

"Shut up Nick! Damn it, I could've _sworn_ the locker room was empty that night! Alright, what do you want?"

"Just head on over to Savanah Central, cover me and Carrots til shift change and I'll lose all incriminating evidence. Scout's honor."

Nick waited patiently, grinning eagerly.

"….Fine. But you better get rid of that Wilde, I'm serious!"

Judy shot a fist up triumphantly as Nick laughed.

"Don't worry big guy, I'm good for my word. Let me know when you're posted. And hey, no hard feelings right?"

The line clicked dead, and Nick dropped the phone in his lap. Judy was ready to crawl across the cab again, this time for a hug, her previous mood completely forgotten.

"Oh my god, Nick! You're amazing! How long have you been waiting to use that?"

"Couple months now. I almost feel bad blackmailing like that but hey, business is business right?"

Judy laughed again in amazement. Once again, her fox had pulled through. But then she wondered…

"So uh…could I see the video?"

"Sorry carrots, a deals a deal, and I really am good on my word." Nick clicked away at his phone, deleting the video. "It's a shame though, the cat's really got some moves!"

* * *

Fangmeyer's patrol route took the pair on a wide loop through the city. Strictly speaking, the route was supposed to stick mostly along the main roads of the city, but Judy took some liberty with that, often dipping off on detours, especially when they swung through Happytown. Nick gave her directions that let them cruise by Flanagan's Pub, where Finnick had seen the kidnapping, but there was no sign of the blacked out car, or anything else unusual.

Even though they both felt better to be out and searching, they were also realizing this could still be a longshot of a lead. Nick had already consulted their cruiser's computer finding literally thousands of black sedans registered to nearly every species of canine, so there was little hope of narrowing it down. And on top of that, there was no guarantee the car was even registered to their suspect, it could be stolen or filed under someone else's name. Despite feeling like they were on a wild goose chase, both the officers tried to keep their mood up, occupying themselves with theories and ideas on how they could further the investigation.

"Hey Carrots, I've got a question" said Nick

"Shoot." She answered.

"So hypothetically, if we see this guy, or see his car or something, how are we going to go about this? Obviously we can't just walk up and slap cuffs on him, but this isn't the type of guy we can really afford to lose by scaring him off."

Judy thought for a moment on that. Nick was right of course. A very generic, vague description of a car and a suspect wasn't enough to actually start an arrest on anyone they found, but walking up and trying to question him would likely cause the suspect to bug out. From what they had been told, if the perp _was_ a member of Black Knight, Judy assumed he would certainly be the type of mammal who could disappear and stay gone if they knew they were suspected by the police. But for now, the suspect would have no reason to believe they were being targeted. An idea formed in Judy's mind.

"I think, if we can get him talking on something small, something completely unrelated, we could at least get more to work on. I mean, we wouldn't even have to bust him for anything, if we pulled him over for going five over the limit and let him off with a warning, he would still have to give us license and registration. It might not be much, but it could get the ball rolling."

Nick smiled and nodded appreciatively.

"Nice thinking there, bookworm. Get him on a technicality and it'll open the door for the rest."

Judy smiled at the compliment as the two combed through the city. They had started by visiting some of the rougher neighborhoods in Happytown but hadn't found anything so they had started to sweep through Tundra Town. The snowy streets certainly weren't the same kind of ghetto Happytown was, but it still had its own pretty serious crime element, as Judy and Nick were particularly aware of. Still, there was so sign of the car they were searching for. Their searches became even more desperate, as they drove down what streets their cruiser could handle in the Rainforest District and braved the heat of Sahara Square with their AC cranked all the way up.

"Maybe we're coming at this the wrong way." Nick mused, holding his face near the vent to cool it.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, think about it Carrots. First time you saw me, I was hustling in Savannah Central. And believe me, I wasn't the only one working the district that day. Hustlers and criminals don't all skulk around in the slums, they go wherever they want. We intentionally got away from the city center, but maybe it's worth a shot?"

"Maybe you're right…it's definitely worth a shot at this point." She turned the cruiser back towards the exit to the city center. As the cruiser passed through the climate wall, Judy tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. It was getting late, about half past four now, and her and Nick only had a few more hours left on their shift. She knew it was a little silly, but she had been hopeful that she and Nick could've found something solid today, even though it was only their first day pursuing the case. She sighed as the cruiser cleared the tunnel and shot back out into the early evening sunlight. She frowned at how close the sun was getting to the horizon. Pretty soon it would be dark, making their search even harder. Fortunately, all the nine-to-fivers hadn't clogged up the streets getting out of work yet, so for now the cruiser rolled fairly easily along the streets.

Judy scanned every car and pedestrian as she passed, and she knew Nick was doing the same, but she couldn't help like she was wasting time. Everything here just felt so _safe_ , they were passing quaint little brownstone apartments and organic food shops, families holding hands to cross the street. She even saw a little beaver in a Junior Ranger Scout uniform wave at the cruiser at they rolled by. Judy forced a smile and gave a little wave back before sighing dejectedly. What were they doing here? She had appreciated Nick's suggestion at first, but this place didn't exactly scream 'Murderous Kidnapper Hangout' to her.

She decided to take a break from carefully scanning the sidewalk and just looked at the scenery. This particular street was bustling, the shops were starting to give way to impressive banks and office buildings, glimmering and tall. When Judy saw a gap in the skyline, she realized she remembered this place. That gap was the construction site where that nice coyote had saved her from the bricks! Judy wracked her brain trying to remember what else was on this street. The site was still a good couple blocks away, and she was pretty sure the coyote worked the night crew. If she could find a coffee shop around and got the timing right, she could actually get the chance to thank him again properly, and then at least the shift wouldn't be a _total_ waste. She turned to pitch her idea to Nick but found him staring intently out the windshield.

"Uh…Nick?" she asked.

"Carrots…are you seeing that?" He jabbed a finger towards the curb. Judy followed his point and her heart nearly stopped. Parked against the curb no more than a hundred yards away, in front of First Bank of Zootopia, was a black, medium-mammal sized sedan with completely opaque tint. And slamming the door to that car was a black-furred wolf carrying a small leather-bound suitcase.

"Nick," Judy asked breathlessly, "Do you think…do you think that's him?"

"Couldn't tell you Carrots," He said, "But I think I can safely say that tint looks _way_ past the legal limits." He finished, grinning smugly and waving his ticket book. Judy grinned back and switched lanes, heading to park behind the sedan.

 _Got you now!_ Judy thought victoriously.

Victor hated all this cloak and dagger crap. He knew that between that business with the weasel and now that stupid bobcat running his mouth, he couldn't afford to be careless in the city anymore. He tugged at the cuff of his long-sleeved shirt, kicking himself mentally for putting his mark in such a visible spot. A sweet forearm tattoo had seemed like a good idea at the time, now it was a liability.

The wolf followed behind a smartly dressed cougar, the only noise being their claws clicking lightly along the marble floor in the back hallway. She opened a door to a small room, the walls lined with grey metal boxes and a high square table in the center. The cat held the door open for the wolf, holding out a small golden key.

"And here's our safe deposit room. Your box is going to be number 3383, along this wall here."

Victor took the key, thanking the feline. He walked into the room, dropping his case on the table with a thud. He found 3383 and unlocked it, pulling out the empty silver drawer and dropping it next to his case. His paws went to the clasps on his case, when he paused and gave a pointed stare to the cougar who was still waiting at the door. She looked back for a moment, before pursing her lips and turning away, silently closing the door and heading out towards the lobby. When the door thudded shut, Victor popped open the case to reveal bundles of brightly colored notes. 50,000 in Zootopian Bucks and 50,000 in Pawnamanian Pesos. He quickly started scooping up the stacks of bills and transferring them neatly into the box. When he was done he closed his now empty case and slid the drawer back into its slot in the wall, yanking it to make sure it had locked securely. Sliding the key back into his pocket, he headed out the door and made to head towards the lobby. As he walked he drew out his cellphone and punched a number.

"Cutlass?" questioned the voice on the phone.

"Yeah it's me." Answered Victor, "The stuff is stored, Box 3383. Though I still don't get why we couldn't just keep it at the safe house."

"Major said he didn't want to keep it anywhere near the locals."

The wolf snorted a laugh at that.

"Yeah as if any of them would be fuckin' stupid enough to try to steal from us." The wolf's eyes widened and his pace slowed as he looked out the glass door of the bank. "Aw shit…speaking of locals I got a couple of the local cops creeping around the car."

"Damn it!" the voice on the line swore. "Ditch the car, it's registered to one of these bums we hired anyways. Whatever you do, just don't interact with the cops. We can't have an incident now. And crack this phone's SIM card!"

"I know Saber, I'm not an idiot!" the wolf shot back angrily. He looked around himself suspiciously. He was careful not to be overheard, but his last outburst had some mammals casting him some sideways looks. He strode purposefully to the door, quickly popping out the tiny plastic card from his flip phone and crushing it.

 _God damn this city, can never have an easy day_ he thought, as he pushed through the door out onto the sidewalk.

Outside the bank, Judy made an effort look casual as she leaned against the side of the sedan, carefully writing out the ticket. She had really already written it, about three time actually, but she was trying to stall for some time. She hoped not to spook the suspect as he was leaving the bank. She kept her head down and her tone low and casual as Nick strode up next to her.

"So did you get in contact with the chief?" She asked.

"Yep. He said he was going to let our _friends_ know what we were doing but he said to proceed on with it. You almost done with that ticket?"

"Yep." She said, holding up the little yellow slip.

"Good thing too, because here comes our friend." Nick nodded towards the door. Judy could see the black wolf walking towards the door, head down looking at his phone. The wolf pushed through the door and immediately banked right, jamming his free paw into his pocket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. As he lit one, Judy knew exactly what he was doing. He held the pack in his paw, the little box blocking part of his face, his head turned away seemingly to block the wind. Except, it wasn't windy, and he was turning his face _away_ from the two officers. He was trying to give them the slip!

"Excuse me, sir?" Judy called, holding the ticket up. But the wolf just kept walking, head down.

"Hey, excuse me! You there, wolf with the briefcase! Stop!" Judy was now walking down the sidewalk, calling more aggressively. Finally she yelled out as loud as she could.

"ZPD! You with the briefcase, stop where you are!"

Suddenly the wolf flew into explosive motion. He spun around, flinging the briefcase at her as hard as he could, snarling at the smaller rabbit. Without a moment's hesitation, he tore off down the sidewalk away from her. Judy easily ducked the case and took off in pursuit.

"Carrots!" Nick called from behind her.

"Follow us in the cruiser!" she called over her shoulder, still at a full sprint after the wolf. He was incredibly fast, even Judy was having trouble keeping up. He barreled through groups of mammals, knocking a yak down as he tore down the block. At the crosswalk, he didn't even slow down, he just threw himself out into traffic, dodging around the honking cars. A truck's brakes screamed as the driver slammed hard, locking the wheels up and causing the car behind to rear-end him with a crash. Judy zipped past the accident, simmering with anger. _Well now he's endangering the citizens, now he's definitely mine!_ Judy thought. She looked over her shoulder and saw the cruiser, following as close as possible but still stuck just behind as Nick weaved through traffic with his lights and sirens blaring. Judy knew she had to find a way to get this guy subdued, but the sidewalks were too crowded to use her tranq gun and she just couldn't close the gap between them. She looked ahead and saw the construction site she had been looking at before. There was an opening in the chain-link surrounding it. If she could corner him in there her and Nick could take him down together!

Apparently Nick had the same idea, because at that moment she heard the cruiser's engine roar. The big vehicle shot past her in the street, passed the wolf, and then veered hard right. The car hopped the curb, parking sideways across the sidewalk and completely blocking it. With his only other option being to dive out into the street, the wolf skidded on the pavement as he changed direction to dart into the site. As Judy passed the cruiser, nick hopped out with his tranq gun already out and fell into step behind her.

The wolf was still ahead of the two, sprinting across the open lot of the site towards the half-finished structure. A small crowd of mammals, all wearing worker's clothes were gathered at the base, smoking and drinking coffees. It was obviously around shift change or quitting time, because no one was working and the structure was empty. As the wolf sprinted towards the crew, a plump beaver took notice of him and placed his coffee down, stepping towards the wolf.

"Hey pal, you can't just be running in here! This is an active site, you need-"

He was cut short as the wolf jumped towards him, leaving the ground briefly. His paw looped around the back of the shorter beaver's head, while his leg cocked back before fiercely driving forward. The motion drove his knee savagely into the beaver's muzzle and Judy flinched as she heard a crack and saw a spray of blood. The beaver dropped without a sound while the wolf charged on over his unresponsive form. As he split the crowd, another mammal charged forward, this one a zebra. Apparently, the zebra was bravely trying to stop the wolf either by tackling him or tripping him, but the wolf easily sidestepped, this time lashing out with his claws. He threw one fierce swipe at the zebra's head, drawing blood and stunning the zebra who stumbled backwards onto his back. Then, he was free of the crowd, and he shot off into the building, climbing a set of stairs.

Judy and Nick slowed as they approached the scene, where the workers were now crowding around their bloody friends. Judy shook herself a little, especially when looking at the beaver. There was so much blood…the wolf had obviously shattered his nose, and maybe even cracked his teeth. He was alive, but he definitely needed medical attention.

"Nick stay here and get these guys some help. I'm going after the wolf." Judy was in the zone now, Nick knew better than to argue.

"I'll be right behind you as soon as I can, but be careful!"

Judy nodded and tore off up the stairs, tranq gun in paw.

Judy bounded up the stairs three at a time, hustling as fast as she could. There was a trail of tiny drops of blood on the dusty steps, so Judy knew that the suspect had left the stairs on the second floor. She burst through the doorway aiming her pistol out in front of her. There was no sign of the suspect in the dusty, open space, but that didn't mean he wasn't there; there were plenty of places to hide. The floor hadn't been fully finished, and there were random sections of sheetrock hung about to give the shape of rooms, with support beams exposed and piles of construction materials strewn about. Judy padded around quietly, peaking around the corners and listening for any noise, and also keeping an eye on the blood drops that had been left behind. Finally she saw where the trail led into one of the few rooms with four walls on the level. Judy gripped her tranq gun tightly and slowly advanced. When she was just outside the room, she flattened herself against the wall, took a deep breath, and swung around the corner, tranq gun held in front of her.

For a moment, as her eyes adjusted to the dim room, she thought it was empty. Then, before she could react, a large paw gripped her wrist on her shooting paw. Judy tried to pull away, but then she was yanked forward off her feet. Her shoulder screamed as she was swung through the air, and then she stopped just as suddenly as she was slammed into an exposed steel support beam. Judy let out a strangled little gasp as the steel beam forced all the air out of her lungs and her chest exploded with pain. The paw let go then, tossing her towards the center of the room. She landed in a heap, dropping her weapon as she instinctively clutched at her abdomen, trying to force air back into her lungs. After a moment of confusion, she remembered what was going on. She rolled on to her back, trying to find where her weapon was, but just as she propped herself up on her elbows a big black hind paw connected squarely with her face. The savage kick knocked her head back down to the concrete, adding more pain to the blow.

Now Judy laid back, dazed as her vision swam. She fought to stay conscious, black fuzz starting to creep in on the edges of her vision. She was trying to string together a coherent thought when something snapped her at least part way out of her confusion. Just a few feet in front her face, the wolf was pointing a weapon at her. And this wasn't a Taser, or a somewhat harmless tranq gun like what she carried. This was a real firearm, and as she stared at the black hole at the end of the barrel, she knew that with just one _tiny_ movement, the wolf could end it all for her, right here. Icy cold fear gripped her heart as she processed that, and then the wolf began to speak.

"God damn it…you could've just let me go!" the wolf was yelling at her. He almost seemed genuinely upset with her. "But _no_ you and that fox just had to treat this like it was some fucking action movie and had to chase me. Shit, I thought for a minute you were maybe ZIA undercover, but you really are a cop! I didn't want to have to do this!" the wolf yelled again, this time shaking his head. He looked down for a moment and then looked back up to Judy with disappointment in his eyes.

"You shouldn't have fucking chased me, bunny. You would've lived a whole lot longer."

With that, Judy saw his paw began to tense around the grip of the pistol. Again, she found herself staring at the end of the barrel, the tiny black hole seeming to expand in her mind's eye. _Oh my god. This is it._ She thought as fear pulsed in her veins. Her parents were right. Bogo was right. This was it for her. She couldn't tear her eyes away, even as the wolf pulled the trigger, as the hammer dropped and fire exploded from the barrel. And she also watched as the barrel moved at the very last second.

Judy barely heard the quiet gunshot as the suppressed weapon fired, but she did _feel_ the shot. She closed her eyes as concrete slivers sprayed along the side of her face, and she sucked in air as her cheek burned. She slapped a paw to the spot, and was horrified to feel wet blood. There was a furrow in the fur of her face, and there was a hot, stinging wound, a line across her cheek to match it. _He missed! How?_ She thought. After just a second of processing her injuries Judy sat up to try to locate her assailant and found that she wasn't alone. An orange canine was now rolling around, kicking and punching at the larger black one. But he wasn't orange because of his fur, it was because of his _vest._ A shot of recognition went through Judy as she recognized the big coyote in the construction uniform.

 _Tice!_ Judy thought.

As the two separated, the wolf scrabbled across the floor, grasping for the gun which he had dropped. Tice was faster though and he kicked the gun out the door and positioned himself between the wolf and the weapon. The wolf pushed himself up and stood menacingly, snarling at the smaller canine before suddenly his face changed. His snarl faded and his eyes widened as realization hit him. As the two squared off, he stared at the coyote for a minute before suddenly barking out a harsh laugh.

"Holy _shit_ …Dagger? Is that you?"

Tice growled in reply, dropping down into a fighting stance and snarling.

"It is! God, it really fuckin' is!" the wolf laughed again. "Damn Dagger, we all thought Pawnama swallowed you whole. Never figured you would've made it back here."

"That isn't my name! Just get the hell out of here, you don't need to do this!" the coyote yelled back.

"Oh, but I do. The little bunny bitch here saw my face, she's heard too much. Gotta take care of her." The wolf reached into his back pocket and grabbed something. With a flick of his wrist, he opened up a large folding knife, the edge gleaming and wickedly sharp. "Suppose I can't let you leave either, kid. You should've stayed gone."

Then, with a snarl the wolf charged. Tice followed suit, moving with incredible speed towards his opponent. When the two met, Judy could almost describe their collision as beautiful. The two were obviously both incredibly skilled fighters, and despite the wolf's larger size, Tice was strong enough to easily match him. Every blow, slash and swipe was fluid, and practiced. A blocked slash to the neck earned the wolf a heavy-pawed punch to jaw. And when Tice whiffed with one of his punches, the Wolf paid him back with a shallow cut along his arm. Neither could get an edge, and both fought viciously, tooth and nail to get to the other.

Judy pushed herself up as well as she could and tried to scoot backwards from the melee. She wasn't sure what to do at this point, or even what she _could_ do. Her head was reeling, both from getting kicked and from the scene playing out in front of her. _Who the hell really is Tice? And who is Dagger? And how the hell can he fight like this?_ As Judy's thoughts raced, she heard footsteps behind her. She could turn just enough to see Nick rush through the doorway, his tranq gun clutched in bloody paws.

"ZPD! Hands in the air!" he shouted as he waved the gun frantically. The two brawling mammals paid him no attention as their fight continued. Nick stared at them, bewildered for a moment, before noticing Judy on the ground. He rushed to her side, concern in his eyes.

"Carrots! What the hell's going on here? Who is-" he stopped as he saw the bloody trench on her cheek. His eyes flicked to the ground, and widened when he saw the deep crater in the concrete, with the bullet still lodged in the crack. He turned back to her, horror in his eyes.

"Carrots…oh my god, _Judy_ , are you okay?"

She managed a weak nod, trying to hide her less obvious injuries. Nick's eyes searched hers for a moment before suddenly, his face hardened and his eyes took on a violent look. He stood then, gripping his tranq pistol, and with his free paw he grabbed his baton, extending it with an angry flick. He leveled his pistol at the two other canines and stepped forward, apparently ready for battle.

"Nick wait!" The fox paused at the sound of her voice. "If you hit the wrong one, the other will kill us both! You can't afford to miss!"

Nick lowered his pistol a fraction, obviously confused by the statement. Then, a roar from across got the attention of both officers. The wolf and coyote were now locked, deadly still, muscles trembling. The wolf had his blade just fractions of an inch away from Tice's chest, and Tice was gripping his arm with both paws to keep the blade away. The wolf was roaring into his shorter opponent's face, his face lit up with obvious manic rage. Both were spotted and splashed with blood from various cuts and splits in their skin. Tice's face was a mask of pure concentration as he put every ounce of his strength into keeping that knife away.

"Give it up Dagger!" the wolf growled, "I've been training every day for this shit! And you've been here…swinging hammers?"

At that, something changed in Tice's face. His eyes flicked up to the wolf's face before he let go with his right paw. Without both paws blocking the blade, the wolf managed to lever it forward more. Judy let out a gasp as the tip of the blade jumped forward, piercing Tice's chest ever so slightly. It was only for a moment though.

As Tice let go of his opponent he reached to the carpenter's tool belt he wore. Almost quicker than Judy could see, he grabbed a tool, a heavy claw hammer, from a loop and grasped it tightly. Then, with a savage roar he brought the hammer up and swung it down on the wolf's wrist which was holding the blade. He roared out in shock and pain as a resounding snap was heard. His face was twisted with pain, and before he could react, Tice reached out and grabbed his destroyed wrist. With a twist, he reversed the blade and pushed the wolf backwards, driving him back until his back slammed against a wall, shoving the blade into his chest.

The wolf's face changed to one of surprise as he looked down at his chest. He let his paw go limped and it slid off the handle of the blade. He looked up almost dream-like at the coyote in front of him. Everything was still for a moment, before Tice grabbed the handle of the knife and with one final shove, drove the blade in until the handle was flush with the wolf's chest.

Judy and Nick watched on silently, horrified. Both had seen violence as police officers, but this was different. This was happening right in front of them. The scent of blood was heavy in the air, mingling with the still fading scent of gunpowder, and the silence of the room made the sounds of bone cracking and flesh tearing all more terrible. But when Tice slammed that blade home, it broke Nick out of his shock. He leveled his tranq pistol at the coyote and squeezed the trigger.

But somehow, it was almost like the canine knew the dart was coming. He grabbed the handle of the knife and a handful of the wolf's shirt, and fast as lightning, he muscled the lifeless body in front of him. Nick squeezed off two additional shots right after his first, but all three thudded into the wolf's back as the coyote advanced on him. Nick pulled the trigger again, but the weapon only clicked, the magazine having ran dry. Tice dropped the wolf, now only steps away from Nick. Nick fought back panic as he tried to rely on his training, and swung his police baton in an arc at Tice's head. The coyote just raised an arm, catching the blow with his forearm and knocking the baton away. Nick looked at him, now with fear in his eyes. He suddenly seemed to remember Judy, and did the only thing that felt natural.

Nick dropped down low, not on all fours, but into a definite fighting stance and backed up until he was just in front of Judy. He let out a low growl, something that Judy had never heard from him before, and his one paw curled into a fist while his claws slid out on the other. He had no weapons now besides the ones he was born with but he seemed intent on using them as he growled fiercely, showing all his teeth.

In that moment, Judy realized that she probably should've felt terrified. Right in front of her were two predators, one of which had just managed to kill another much larger adversary, and the other was baring his teeth and claws, ready to fight to the death. But when she laid there, looking at Nick standing over her, she didn't feel fear at all. She couldn't exactly say she felt _safe_ , she was still in danger after all, but some part of her knew that no matter what, with this fox, with _her_ fox, standing in between her and danger she would never be alone. And somehow that made it okay.

Nick's show of force was apparently unnecessary, however. Tice stood easily a head taller than the fox, and was broad and heavily muscled. But then, he looked from the two officers in front of him, to the crumpled body of the wolf behind him. And in that moment, somehow the coyote seemed impossibly small. His shoulders slumped, his ears drooped, and his face just held such a deep sadness. He looked up at the two officers for a moment before he spoke.

"I…I'm sorry about all this. You shouldn't have been here. I…I'm sorry. I hope you guys are okay."

With that, he turned and ran out the door. Nick stood stunned for a moment before slowly lowering his paws, his snarl fading. He stared out the door after the coyote, his adrenaline still buzzing. As it faded, he could hear the sirens screaming as they got closer. It sounded like half the city's cops were coming. _Good. Guess I can relax now_ he thought, as his legs practically gave out beneath him. As his backside hit the concrete, he spun so that he was facing Judy, she looked at him with a look of almost reverence. She couldn't believe that Nick, who was such an easy-going, laughing type, had just been a snarling fighting machine, who was ready to go to war for her.

"Nick…" She began.

The fox cut her off. Not with words. He simply grabbed her and pulled her in close, his paws wrapped around her back and her head. He pulled her tight in that room smelling like blood, and fear and gunpowder, and tried to remind himself that if she was still here, that it was alright.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **So now the promised action scenes are finally starting to take place. This certainly won't be the last you see of that. In the next few chapters you'll meet some new original characters, get some more interactions with ones that were already introduced and hopefully get into some more action! Also, just to clear this up now, obviously I'm sure some of you are getting a WildeHopps vibe from the story right now. I wont spoil anything, but I will say that I am not a smut writer. If you're looking for graphic content like that, you wont find it this story, full disclosure. As always, Enjoy!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Good evening, my name is Fabienne Growley, and this is the Zootopian News Network. Tonight we have a special news broadcast. We go to our mammal in the field, Mark Cedarcheck, with the breaking news."

The voice was tinny through the laptop's speakers and the quality left something to be desired, but the tiger was still watching with rapt attention. The picture switched to a beaver with a microphone in paw, in front of a construction zone. Behind him, blue and red lights haphazardly illuminated the scene.

"Thanks Fabienne. I'm here in Savannah Central at the future site of Lemming Brothers Incorporated where a little over an hour ago a scene started rapidly developing. We have few details at this point, but as you can see, the area is swarming with police and medical personnel. At this point, we believe at least two mammals have been injured."

"Looks like a real situation Mark. Can you get any closer?" questioned the co-host, Peter Moosebridge.

"I wish Peter, the police have had a cordon set up since just shortly after this all started. But, Oh! Hang on minute! Sir!" the beaver was now calling over to a dazed looking pig in an orange vest. "Sir! Were you on the scene when this all started?"

The pig blinked, looking slightly dazed, and squinted into the light of the camera.

"Uh…yeah I was here. I was just getting off work."

"Could you tell us what happened here?" the beaver probed urgently, jabbing his microphone at the pig.

"Yeah…we were all out front of the site, shooting the shit when this wolf just came running in the site. He was getting chased by two cops, you know that rabbit and her fox buddy? Yeah, they chased him in the site. A couple of my buddies tried to stop him but…he messed them up real good…"

The pig trailed off, suddenly looking distant and distressed.

"I Hope your friends are okay?" the beaver said, making it a question.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. They're alright, those cops made sure they got some help here, then they tore off chasing that wolf up the stairs! My buddy Tice chased them up too, but…he didn't come down with the officers. I hope he's alright, I mean he's a big-ass coyote, but he still might not do so hot against a wolf."

The tiger's paw clenched tight around the beer in his huge paw as his eyes widened. He blinked but continued to watch silently.

"Well, I'm sure your friend is alright," the beaver said sympathetically. "I'm sure he's giving a police statement or-oh dear…Steve get the camera on that, now!" The beaver shouted frantically. The camera panned over to show a black van pulling into the lot with 'ZPD City Coroner' printed on the side in white. The van pulled up as close to the scene as the crush of vehicles allowed and parked. A moment later, a gurney bumped its way down the last few steps of a stairway leading up into the structure, being hauled along by two burly paramedics. The gurney was completely covered by a sheet, but it was obvious there was a medium sized mammal on it.

Well this…certainly is a, um, development." The beaver spoke nervously into the microphone. The gurney weaved its way perilously through the maze of emergency vehicles, almost reaching the van, before suddenly, the front wheel caught in a hole. The wheel locked, causing the whole thing to pitch briefly. As the gurney tipped, the sheet shifted and for just a moment revealed a flash of black fur, before the paramedics quickly righted the gurney and successfully lifted it into the van.

The tiger's breath now caught in his chest. He stared in shock, not even hearing the broadcast at this point. For a moment, he was as stiff as a statue before a sudden fit of rage overtook him and he threw his beer bottle at the wall, roaring so loud his throat hurt. The bottle shattered into a thousand pieces, spraying glass and foam across the floor. The tiger stood staring at the mess, shoulders heaving with his ragged breath. In the back of his mind, he could just barely hear the new broadcast as the beaver signed off.

Then the door to the small room burst open and two hyenas charged in, each with a pistol in paw. Both turned wildly, a panicked look in their eyes, scanning for a threat. The tigers lip curled in disgust. His little office up here wasn't much, but he was sure he had told these idiots to stay out of it.

"What are you doing? Get out of here! And put those fucking guns back, you two morons are more likely to kill me or yourselves than anyone you actually aim at!"

The hyenas lowered the guns slowly, looking at the tiger warily.

"Shit, sorry boss…we just heard some commotion…" One spoke hesitantly. The tiger eyed him murderously in return.

"I'm sorry, did I fucking stutter? Get out of here!" the tiger roared. The two hyenas quickly turned tail and ran, slamming the door behind them. The tiger slumped down into his chair, which creaked worryingly under his bulk. He sighed heavily as he pulled out his phone. He hated it, but he knew he had to make a call. He punched in a number from memory, adding the necessary international code. He held the phone to his hear as the dial tone droned. Finally, the line clicked on, but the mammal on the other end said nothing. The tiger knew to speak when he heard the dial tone cut out.

"Good evening Sir, this is Saber" he said shortly.

"Go ahead." The voice answered.

"Sir…we may have a problem in the city." Sabre spoke hesitantly, preparing for the worst. The line was silent before the reply.

"What kind of problem?" The response was icy cold, the tone almost making the tiger cringe.

"Sir, there was…an issue with the money drop. Cutlass took it to the bank, but he got made by these local cops somehow and…Sir I'm pretty sure he's dead." The tiger cursed under his breath. Even to him, the explanation sounded weak. The silence on the line was practically deafening.

"Pretty sure huh? Tell me, Saber, how fucking sure is _pretty sure?"_ the mammal asked, his voice dripping with venom.

"On the news, Sir, the city coroner pulled up and loaded a body into the van. I saw some black fur…and the two cops both came down alive, but-"

"So, you mean to tell me that your shit-for-brains squadmate managed to get himself killed by some bumbling city cops?" He practically roared this question. Saber knew why; he had handpicked Cutlass himself for this operation, they had been together since before Black Knight. It took everything in him to swallow his pride and ignore the insult to his friend before he answered.

"That's the thing Sir. I don't believe the cops killed him."

"Explain." Came the reply after a pause.

"He was armed Sir, he never went into the city without packing some heat and the cops here don't carry anything heavier than tranq guns. No chance those two managed to get his weapon away from him. And also Sir, there were plenty of eye-witnesses at the scene. They interviewed one, and he said his friend _Tice,_ who just happens to be a 'big-ass coyote' followed Cutlass and the cops up into the site. Sir…I think it was Dagger."

"…You're actually fucking serious aren't you?" the voice asked incredulously. Saber gritted his teeth to suppress a growl.

"Yes Sir. It's the only thing I can think of. We never found him after Pawnama, and I know the name matches. Dagger might've been able to take Cutlass on, especially with some help from those two cops."

"Well did the cops ever bring him out?"

"Negative Sir, witnesses on site said they never saw him come back out. Whoever he was, he disappeared." There was yet another pause before the mammal on the other end began rapidly speaking.

"Well whoever he was doesn't change the problem here. That problem being, when I asked who could handle our Zootopia operation, you volunteered yourself and Cutlass. And now, you've managed to _thoroughly_ fuck it up. I gave you and Cutlass three of our trained shooters, I gave you the ability to see the law's next move, _and_ I gave you enough guns and cash to reel in the local muscle to make everything run smooth, and _now,_ not even two months later, one of you is dead and the other is calling me crying about it. God Saber, find a straw and suck it the fuck up. This is officially your mess, and you will clean it up. And if your little theory about Dagger ends up being true, cleaning up will include putting that traitorous little shit in a hole where no one will ever find him. Do I make myself clear?"

Saber's huge paw trembled with rage as he held the phone. He took a moment to compose himself, before spitting back.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Get it done."

"Yes sir. Good evening sir." With that, the line clicked dead.

The tiger had to physically restrain himself from launching the phone at the wall just like his bottle. Instead, he settled on roaring again, just as loud as before, and slamming his huge fist into the cheap folding table he used as a desk. The table collapsed, spilling papers and trash everywhere. In the middle of the trash was his laptop, pitifully tipped over and cracked. He stared at this fresh annoyance, seething with rage. Staring up at him from the spiderwebbed screen were side-by-side pictures of a smiling grey rabbit and a grinning red fox in police blues. He glared for a moment before launching a savage kick at the screen, completely smashing it. He slammed back into his chair, sitting rigidly and staring off into space, thinking about Cutlass. His squadmate, practically his _brother_ laid up on a cold slab in some city morgue, after all they had been through, because some dumb city cops wanted to play hero. As he sat, he decided something in his mind.

 _Even if Dagger isn't involved, someone's ending up in a deep grave for this._

* * *

Judy winced as the otter probed at the wound on her cheek. Most of the real pain was gone, but she could still feel a burning sensation there, and it definitely smarted when she little paramedic poked at it.

"Well Officer, there really isn't too much I can do for this. There's no real damage, but it's too wide and shallow to really stitch. My advice is to keep it clean and covered and it shouldn't scar too bad."

Judy groaned as she nodded. She leaned back on the edge of the ambulance. She turned up and smiled weakly up at Nick next to her.

"Well, good things scars add character, eh Slick?"

She had hoped to joke around a little with the fox and bring him back to normal. Ever since the other officers had stormed the building he had been distant. As the larger officers pounded up the stairs, he had just helped her up off the ground and outside, and had hardly said a word since. Her little joke barely made a difference, just earning her a distant smile and a shrug. Then he nodded off into the distance and spoke softly.

"And here comes trouble. Brace yourself Carrots."

Judy turned and groaned again, seeing Chief Bogo heading their way. The buffalo stormed up silently and stared at the two for a moment before turning to the paramedic.

"What's the status of my officers?" The chief asked flatly.

"Well Officer Wilde is just fine," The otter answered, "and Officer Hopps here is only a little worse off. She passed her concussion test, she's got full range of motion in her shoulder and I can't find any broken ribs. All in all, I'd say you have one tough bunny here sir. Give it a few days' rest, I'm sure she'll be right as rain."

Judy looked up hopefully at the Chief at that, but he just snorted.

"I'll be the judge of that. Thank you ma'am." He said, dismissing the little paramedic. Then he turned his attention to the two officers in front of him.

"First thief's first, you will _not_ be returning to active duty until I give the okay. That goes for _both_ of you."

Judy started to protest, but Bogo raised one paw and gave a pointed look at the otter, who shrugged and hopped out of the back of the ambulance, wandering off into the crowd. The buffalo leaned down to eye level with his officers, speaking quietly now.

"I won't hear any argument on this. It's not only because of the beating you just took, but also I need time to sort out this shit-show. I've got a dead mammal, a firearm on the scene and rumors flying that a civilian murdered a suspect in front of two of my officers. I am aware this isn't totally your fault, you were following orders and protecting citizens, but this is truly the worst possible way this could have gone. I can't even imagine what the director will have to say about this."

Nick leaned out around Bogo, looking behind him.

"Uhh...speak of the devil, Chief..."

Bogo turned to see the director himself stepping out of the backseat of a black SUV. The two familiar agents hopped out of the front seats, falling in behind the deer as he strode quickly towards the ambulance. Bogo grunted irritably, standing and heading towards him, paws held up.

The pair was too far away for Judy and Nick to hear, but they could see the two talking animatedly in hushed tones. The deer was pointing at Judy and Nick, and then pointing back at his agents, obviously angry. Bogo leaned in, speaking quickly and gesturing around at the mass of Police and EMS already on scene. Officers were milling around their cruisers and crime scene investigators were hustling around with evidence bags. In all honesty, the Chief was right. This certainly _was_ a shit-show.

Suddenly, the director shook his head fiercely and tried to step around the chief. At this, Bogo stuck out a massive arm across his chest and growled loudly at him.

"Back off, those are _my_ officers!"

The words obviously came out louder than intended, as Judy saw a flash of nervousness in the chief. He wasn't the only nervous one though. The chief's outburst had caught the attention of some of the larger officers around, and now Director Stagg was finding himself being eyed suspiciously by the likes of Officers McHorn and Trunkaby. The deer surveyed the scene nervously before turning back to the chief and saying something quickly before turning and getting back into his car, his agents in tow.

The chief stood stock still for a moment, watching as the SUV pulled out. He then turned and gave a look to the officers obviously paying attention. At the chief's glare they all managed to look busy, hustling off one way or another. Bogo plodded heavily back to the ambulance before kneeling wearily before the two cops. He sighed heavily, before speaking meaningfully to the two.

"Look...I know this is mostly my fault. You two are some of my most capable officers, but I sent you two after a highly dangerous mammal. I should've known better to believe this would have gone nicely. And when the danger presented itself...I wouldn't have expected you two to react any differently. It's just...hard to see the price you're paying. That _both_ of you are paying."

He said this last part with a pointed look at Nick. The fox still looked distant, almost in shock. Judy's heart ached to see it. She knew what was going through Nick's mind but he hadn't done anything wrong, there was nothing else he could've done.

"Tonight I want you two to go home and rest. Don't come to the station at your usual time, just wait for a call from me. We _will_ have to sort this out with the ZIA, the director is...less than pleased. But that isn't your concern." The chief paused then and then turned towards Judy.

"But Hopps...the coyote...who the hell was he?"

Judy thought for a second. First she remembered the friendly coyote who smiled and joked with after saving her from those bricks. But then, in a flash she saw the image of his face locked in a vicious snarl, his sandy fur flecked with blood, and a savage light in his eyes as he drove that knife home. She drove away the thought and swallowed her fear before answering.

"Tice, sir. Tice Foreston. We met once before but I don't really know him. That's all I have sir."

The chief huffed after a moment and then stood.

"Come on then, I'll give you two a lift home."

The two jumped down off the tailgate, and Judy headed over to their cruiser to grab her bag from the trunk. She had decided to pack some spare clothes from her locker this morning, and now she was glad for it. She was really glad for that now; she was sure she might not be heading back to her own place with Nick in this condition.

Bogo's vehicle glided down the dark streets. As Chief, he got his own personal car, it was just like the standard police cruisers but with much more subdued decals. The front seat was open, but Judy and Nick had silently agreed to share the backseat. The only conversation in the car was Nick giving directions to the chief. As the car pulled up in front of Nick's apartment, Bogo didn't bat an eye as Judy unbuckled with Nick and slid out the open door onto the sidewalk. Bogo wished both officers a good night out the window as he pulled away into traffic.

Judy silently followed Nick up the stairs and into the apartment. She was seriously starting to get worried now. She was just freaked out as Nick about all this but this just was not like him at all. Whenever they faced a situation like this, Nick almost always seemed to joke more, it just seemed to be how he dealt with things. But now, he just stayed silent, his tail drooping dejectedly. Inside the apartment, Judy was quick to offer Nick the first shower. The paramedics had cleaned what they could, but she knew the beaver and zebra's blood were likely still caked into the fur of his paws. He thanked her quietly, and she heard the water kick on as she gingerly lowered herself onto the couch.

 _Maybe that's what has him so messed up?_ Judy mused to herself. She had heard Nick give his report to the first responders at the scene. The beaver was going to be alright, but his nose had been shattered and Judy had even heard that Nick had had to pull broken teeth out of his mouth just to keep his airway clear. That kind of thing was something they learned at the academy; they weren't paramedics, but something like that could keep a mammal alive until the professionals got there. Still Judy shuddered at the thought. There had just been so much _blood._

Judy shook her head to clear it, and began to do little tasks to distract herself. She bent over to her bag to pull out some clothes and hissed in pain. Her chest and stomach burned like fire and her shoulder pained her too. She trusted the paramedic when she said there was no permanent damage, but that wolf really had done a number on her. She straightened up, gathering her clothes in a neat little pile as she heard the water cut off in the bathroom. As Nick headed to his room to change, Judy let herself into the bathroom.

She laid out her clothes and found a towel, way too big for her but it would work. Slowly she began to peel off her uniform, clenching her teeth against her various aches. Once she had it off, she gingerly touched her chest, feeling the wide swath of tender flesh. If she didn't have so much fur, she was sure she would already be able to see a wide bruise forming there. Turning she reached into the shower and cranked on the water.

She let the steaming hot water run over her head. She didn't even bother with shampoo, she felt thoroughly too sore to deal with working the suds out of her fur. After a few minutes, she shut the water off and carefully stepped out onto the cold tile. Suddenly a thought occurred to her.

Grabbing the edge of the sink, she carefully hauled herself up and wiped off a patch of the mirror. She turned her cheek and inspected the red, raw furrow in her cheek. It wasn't awful, but it was maybe a quarter inch wide, several inches long and just deep enough for blood to slowly ooze out of it. Judy popped open Nick's medicine cabinet, finding herself a decent sized bandage and slapped it on. She hopped back down and quickly got dressed into some comfy sweats.

As she left the bathroom, she padded back to the living room to find Nick on the couch. He was dressed in some gym shorts and an old ZPD academy shirt. He had the TV on and was leaning back into the couch. Any other night, this would have felt like the start to any of their usual movie nights, but Judy could tell that this was different.

Nick had the TV on, but he was clearly staring straight through the screen, and though he seemed like he was just relaxing Judy could tell he was tense, damn near totally stiff on the couch. She sniffed, detecting a harsh note in the air and then noticed a glass of golden liquid on the table in front of Nick. _Oh god...scotch._ She thought. If Nick shared anything with the Chief, it was the habit of getting out the good stuff when things got particularly rough.

"Nick." She spoke softly, standing at the edge of the couch. The fox showed no sign he heard her, still staring ahead.

"Nick!" She said a little more forcefully. He started, as if he had no idea she was there before turning to her. Suddenly his face had slipped into his classic con mask, but Judy could tell it was forced. His lazy grin was there, but it never made it to his eyes. Judy got increasingly worried at that.

"Nick, I know tonight was rough but...what's going on? What's got you like this?"

"What do you mean Carrots?" He replied coyly, seemingly trying to lay on the 'Sly Fox' act even thicker. Judy was not having it, and she advanced on him slowly speaking pleadingly.

"Nick seriously. This...all that was hard to watch, to go through, believe me I know it. But...it wasn't us. That wolf...he's gone, for better or worse, and that beaver will be okay, and we're okay Nick. So what is this?"

Just as quick as it went up, Nick's mask cracked. His face changed into something between fear and sadness and he looked at Judy with pain in his eyes.

"You really don't get it do you?" He asked incredulously.

"Get...get what?" She asked, confused.

"You don't get that you almost _weren't_ okay!" Nick shouted. Judy took a step back, surprised at his outburst. Nick leaned forward, inching closer to Judy. He was visibly upset now, looking almost angry as he continued on.

"I mean, how don't you see it? You're not invincible! Do you not process that? Look at your face Carrots!" He gestured wildly at the wound on her cheek. "I saw the round still buried in the ground, I know how close that was! How can you just stand here and...oh god," he began to deflate, his anger seeming to ebb, replaced by desperate sadness. Judy's heart dropped like a rock as she saw tears gleaming in his eyes. He barely managed to choke out his last few words.

"God...I almost lost you Judy. You were almost gone...and I wasn't even there."

In that moment it all hit her like a ton of bricks. Her mind flashed back to that moment, staring into the black pit at the end of that gun and she realized why Nick was upset and she also realized how extremely _right_ he was to be upset. She rushed forward, hopping on the couch right next to Nick and fiercely hugged him around the neck.

"Nick, oh god Nick you're right, you're so right, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking Nick, I just...oh Nick I'm so, so sorry." The words flowed freely out of her as she felt tears coming to her own eyes. She felt Nick's arms wrap around her and felt herself lifted up gently as he scooped her up and pulled her the last bit of distance into his lap. She felt him shudder against her as he fought back tears before speaking.

"I just can't believe I wasn't there...I should've been faster, I should've gone in first, I should've done _something._ It would've been all my fault."

Judy recoiled at his words, pulling back to look him the eye.

"Nick! Don't ever say that. I know what you did for that beaver, you saved his life. That's our job Nick, there's nothing else you could've done." Nick's eyes dropped, looking away.

"I...I know," he said falteringly, "but...I just can't imagine losing you Judy."

Judy sat silent, staring at her partner. She wasn't sure what she could say. They were cops, danger was everywhere. She didn't know how to make this right, but she had to try.

"Hey." She said softly. Nick's eyes met here again, full of fear and sadness.

"I'm not going anywhere. You are never going to lose me Nick." She tried to speak with as much confidence and conviction as she could. She had to make him believe it as much as she did. And then in his eyes, she saw that he did. The fear was slowly replaced with hope and trust, and Judy felt a well of emotion rise in her. She pulled Nick back into a hug and he held her back just as tight. She buried her head against his chest and heard his heart hammering away. She wondered if a fox's heart always beats so fast. After a moment she spoke again, trying to lighten the mood.

"So get used to it Slick. You're stuck with me."

"Works for me." He answered from above her head.

"So," She said after a pause, "I figured I'd just stay here."

"Of course." He said shortly.

"Okay good, so...got any blankets I could use here for the couch?"

"Not a god damn chance." Nick spoke with finality.

"Uh...what?" She asked, confused. Then, without warning Nick stood off the couching, easily scooping her up. Judy squeaked in surprise and held tightly to Nick's neck as he gently held her up.

"Nick! What the hell are you doing?" She asked frantically.

"You said it yourself Carrots. I'm stuck with you, and you're not going anywhere. Get used to it."

Judy almost protested for a moment, but then she realized she was already in Nick's bedroom. She held on, dumbfounded as Nick eased backwards onto the bed, still holding her as he adjusted himself. She pushed herself up and looked at Nick in shock. The fox just smiled back at her, his mood apparently starting to go back to normal. But after a moment of Judy's look he seemed to get a little self-conscious, rubbing at the back of his head nervously.

"Hey um...maybe that was a little much. I'm sorry, I can get the couch ready for you, if that's what you want."

Judy stared for a moment longer before slowly relaxing. She scooted a little off of right on top of Nick, but left her head and one arm laying over his chest.

"Just don't go stealing all the covers Slick." Judy played it cool as her heart hammered in her chest. Nick simply laughed and pulled a blanket over the two of them.

"Good night Judy."

"Night, Nick."

* * *

Judy woke up slow the next morning. At first she was still half asleep and was locked in a hazy dream. She found herself on a dock. It took her a second to recognize it but then everything snapped into sudden clarity. She was on the dock her Dad had floated out into Hart's Lake when she was a kid. She felt the dock rocking rhythmically beneath her, and she looked to the shore and saw the cabin her family had owned there. The place certainly wasn't huge, but it was big enough to house a decent portion of her siblings, and she remembered taking trips there when she was younger.

As the sun beat down on her, it all felt so real. She even felt a soft breeze playing with the fur on her ears. She reached out to feel the rough old wood of the dock and found that it was...soft? _What the heck?_ She thought. She rubbed her paw over it again, and still the wood felt soft, almost... _fluffy_ somehow almost like...

With a jolt, she snapped out of her dream. She looked to her paw and saw it was most definitely not touching the dock, and was actually buried in the soft fur at Nick's neck. Likewise, the dock's rocking was actually him breathing and the breeze was him blowing air on her ears. She stayed there frozen for a second as last night came back to her and she remembered the state Nick had been in. She relaxed then. Finding herself in this situation with the morning light filtering in was a bit of a shock, but she didn't regret it. She knew Nick had just needed her to be close last night.

As she processed this, she heard a buzzing from his night stand. She carefully pulled herself off the sleeping fox and hopped off the bed. She looked and saw Nick's phone with one new notification. She usually wouldn't go near his phone, but she saw the message was from Bogo. She looked closer and read the short line of text under his name.

'Meet at Precinct 1, 10 AM. Street clothes. Bring Hopps.'

She checked the time and saw that it was just before eight right now. She looked back at the still sleeping fox and decided she could let him sleep a little longer before padding out quietly to the living room. She went to the fridge and found her carrot juice stashed away in the back. She poured herself a glass and settled on the couch, switching the TV on to a low volume and waited.

She didn't have to wait long, as only a few minutes later Nick came groggily wandering down the hall. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and yawned before speaking.

"Mornin' Carrots" he mumbled.

"Good morning!" She chirped back brightly. "Did you see the message from the chief?"

"Yep." He replied blearily, wandering towards his coffee maker.

"Well, I was thinking," Judy said, "I've got to stop by my place to get some real clothes, so if you're willing to hold out on coffee for a little bit, we could stop by the Java Room on the way. You're not banned from there yet, right?"

Nick laughed, putting back the bag of coffee grinds he had pulled off the shelf.

"No, I am not banned from that particular establishment."

"Well it sounds like a plan then! Get dressed Slick."

* * *

As the two walked into the precinct, Judy felt much more at ease. Nick had brightened up considerably once he had gotten his coffee fix, and to her, it seemed like his dark mood from the night before was truly gone. Judy thought it was remarkable how fast Nick could bounce back from something like that, and his improved mood had her feeling normal again as well. As they walked in the station, they found the chief already waiting for them in the lobby. He nodded as a greeting and jerked his head towards the entrance to the parking garage. The two dutifully followed, hanging onto their questions for now.

The buffalo led them out onto the parking garage but stopped in front of his unmarked car, leaning against the front bumper. He sighed, crossed his arms and stared down towards the pavement. Judy and Nick stood silently for a moment before finally Nick spoke up.

"So...are we just hanging out here today?"

The buffalo sighed again before leveling a serious, but weary gaze at the Fox and speaking in a somber tone.

"No, we are not staying here Wilde. The three of us are going to meet with the ZIA, on their turf. I brought you out here to give the both of you one last chance to divulge any little piece of information, or ask me any questions before this begins. Make no mistake officers, this is going to get messy. I've managed to keep them off your backs so far, but with everything that's happened they're going to push even harder to control the two of you. So, do either of you have anything to say?"

Judy cast a sidelong look at Nick, who stared blankly back at the Chief. Then she turned back to Bogo and put on her best game face.

"We're ready sir."

Bogo grunted once and nodded.

"Good. Hop in."

The ride wasn't overly long. Straight out of the precinct the chief headed for one of the entrances to Tundra Town, passing through the climate into the frozen neighborhood. Judy noticed him following the small GPS he had clipped onto the dash of his cruiser. _Wow,_ she thought, _Even the Chief doesn't know where these guys stay at._

After a good amount of twists and turns through the snowy streets, Bogo finally pulled the car to a stop in front a squat, nondescript building. The grey concrete it was made of was unpainted with no signs or logos or anything, with dark windows dotted on the walls at regular intervals. It could have been an office for any random company. Judy was a little surprised at the appearance of it, but she supposed it made sense. It wouldn't really do for a bunch of spies and agents to advertise their home base.

"Is this the place?" Nick asked next to her, craning his neck to get a good look at the building.

"Must be. This is the address Stagg provided" Bogo answered, sounding at least a little bewildered himself. The trio unbuckled and left the car, trudging through the snow towards the building. The entrance was a pair of simple glass doors, frosted to prevent mammals looking in. Bogo pushed through the door and into the Lobby.

Even the lobby matched the drab interior. It was like any office Judy had ever been, just a waiting area with some plain furniture, some potted plants and a large round desk with a female anteater secretary typing away. She looked up as they entered and stood on her chair greeting the three with a polite smile.

"Good morning officers. We've been expecting you, so someone should be right out to meet you." The chief thanked her, and the officers took seats and waited. A few minutes later, a warthog came out of a side hallway and approached them with an easy smile.

Judy hadn't seen this mammal before and eyed him curiously. As far as warthogs go, he certainly didn't fit the stereotype. She didn't usually like to profile like that, but for a warthog he was surprisingly trim. He still had broad, stocky shoulders that filled out the brown suit coat he wore, but he lacked the usual flab most of his species carried. Furthermore, the tuft of hair on his head was trimmed short and combed neatly, and his tusks were polished to a bright white. All in all, he gave off an air of professionalism, topped off by the neat pair of glasses he wore. The warthog immediately approached them and held out a paw genially to the Chief.

"Chief Bogo I assume? I'm assistant director Fetterworth."

The chief returned his shake, standing as he did.

"Good to meet you ." He replied curtly.

"Oh you can drop that crap, just call me Bob. And you must be officers Wilde and Hopps?" The hog chuckled and turned towards the two again extending his paw. They both shook and gave a similar greeting. Fetterworth carried on talking.

"I have to thank you two for coming in today after last night's ordeal. I already saw the photos from the scene. I know you two are cops and all, but that shit looked rough, no matter who you are." He sounded thoroughly sincere with what he said, and Judy appreciated it. She had decided she liked this mammal.

"If you'll follow me, I'll take you up to the director's office." The hog spoke as he turned away, the officers trailing behind. He took them to an elevator, and as the elevator ascended he explained the floors they were rising past. The ground floor was mostly just administrative workers, crunching numbers for budgets and doing paperwork. The second was dedicated to forensics and their cyber division.

"Cyber is actually the biggest part of what we do here," he explained, "We have a limited number of field agents so it's just not practical to have eyes on every threat in the world. The cyber guys monitor the net in high-threat regions, keeping an eye out for chatter on potential threats."

"Where do the field agents work at?" Asked Nick.

"Well, when they're not out in the world doing the good work, most live here in Zootopia. We have a sub level that houses most of their gear though."

"Makes sense I guess." Nick mused. As the elevator dinged open on the third floor, the warthog stepped out, swinging an arm around the room. There was an open space with a few desks around, arranged in orderly rows. Most were empty, but a few had mammals in chairs, scribbling on paper or typing away on computers.

"And when they do need to get some desk work in, this is where they'll be."

He continued across the room towards an area in the back corner sectioned off by frosted glass. As they approached, Judy could see a plain brass plaque set on the door with the words 'Director M. Stagg'.

"And this would be the director's office. Chief Bogo, the Director said he'd like to speak with you alone, before everyone else joins us. Officers, if you wouldn't mind just waiting here for a few?" He gestured to a few chairs against the wall next to the door. Nick and Judy took their seats as Fetterson opened the door for Bogo and followed him inside.

As Judy and Nick waited, Judy looked around at the place. She really couldn't say she was all that impressed.

"Doesn't it seem weird?" She said quietly to Nick.

"Doesn't what?" He replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Well...this!" she said, waving an arm around. "I mean...this is the ZIA headquarters...I kind of expected some underground bunker and high tech gadgets everywhere. This all just seems so...boring."

Nick chuckled with a smirk.

"Well I didn't really expect it to all be super spies running around in tactical gear, but I guess you're right." He looked around for a second and then leaned in with a sly grin. "I just can't help feeling like I'm back in grade school waiting for Principal Blake to call me into his office."

Judy laughed at that, but the laugh caught her throat as she heard a muffled shout come from inside the office. It was definitely Bogo. Obviously the private chat wasn't going spectacularly. Nick frowned as well, and settled back into his seat.

Then, Judy spotted two familiar faces across the room. The two agents, the rabbit and fox, had just come up from a stairwell. The two were talking animatedly, but when the fox caught sight of the two of them, she stopped and strode purposefully across the room.

"Oh shit." Murmured Nick. Judy shared the same feeling, but she decided she would take this one head on. As the pair approached, she hopped off her chair and walked up to the Fox with her paw out.

"Good morning, Agent Frost right? Officer Judy Hopps, ZPD." She was prepared for a cold greeting, but was surprised when the agent broke out a warm smile and returned her shake eagerly.

"Yes that's me! It's nice to be formally introduced finally. But really, you don't have to call me agent where Director Stagg can't hear, we can just stick to Skye."

Judy smiled back just as warmly, happy that she was so friendly. She took in the Fox for a second. Even though she didn't swing that way, Judy knew beauty when she saw it. Her sleek, pure white fur made a striking contrast against the dark blue blouse she wore, and her eyes were a cool icy blue. As Judy examined her, Nick appeared at her side with his paw out as well.

"Well if you're Skye, I suppose that makes me Nick." He said with a coy smile. Skye laughed and shook his paw as well. Then the rabbit to her left stepped forward, except his face was a mask of professionalism as he extended his own paw.

"Agent Savage." He said curtly. Judy reached to shake, but pulled back as Skye shot an elbow into his shoulder. He flinched slightly, and tried again.

"Agent _Jack_ Savage."

Judy slowly reached out again but again, Skye's elbow shot out again. Judy nervously flicked her eyes between Savage and Skye, the latter of which was giving her smaller partner a pointed look. Finally he rolled his eyes and looked defeated.

"Fine. I'm Jack Savage. Pleased to meet you." Finally Judy reached out and shook as Skye flashed her a smug smile. As Nick likewise shook the rabbit's paw, Judy thought _God Damn, is smug just a genetic trait for these foxes?_

She was feeling good about how this was going, so Judy decided to push her luck.

"I have to say, I'm kind of surprised to meet another fox and rabbit in this line of work, especially in an organization like this."

"Hare." Jack said shortly.

"Beg your pardon?" Judy asked.

"I'm a hare actually." Jack explained, his slate gray eyes flashing just a hint of annoyance.

Judy winced internally at that. As she looked at him, she was mad at herself for missing it. Between the odd stripes on his face and his bigger, more built stature, she should have known he was a hare, especially as a rabbit herself.

"Of course, I'm sorry. I should have realized." She apologized sheepishly.

"It's fine, I get it about as much as you'd expect here in the city." Jack replied, apparently brushing off her unintentional slight.

Before the moment could get more awkward, the office door swung open behind them and Fetterworth stuck his head out.

"Oh, good! The agents are already here! And it's just turning 10:15 now, which means any second now..." The elevator dinged as the doors opened across the room. The hog shook his head, laughing. "Right on time, like a god damn clock. Military discipline for you, huh?"

Judy turned and saw a mammal of a species she had never seen before, wearing clothes she had only seen in pictures. She was pretty sure she was a young ocelot judging by her golden fur and the distinct pattern of streaks and spots on her face. What really caught Judy's eye was her uniform though. The khaki shirt tucked into her green trousers were both pressed with ruler straight seams and the silver bars on her collar gleamed under the fluorescent lights. On the left breast of the shirt were rows of brightly colored ribbons, likewise set with meticulous precision. As a mammal who tended to her ZPD dress blues in a similar manner, Judy could appreciate the care that was put into such an appearance.

The feline swung her head around the room once and catching sight of the group by the office, she strode straight towards them. As Judy watched her approach she thought that she could give even Skye a run for her money in the looks department, as the perfectly tailored uniform clung to her feline form and the light caught off her fur. Judy felt a slight heat in her cheeks as she thought of the quick job she had done getting ready that morning, only to find herself in a room suddenly _overrun_ by beautiful mammals. She snuck a glance towards Nick, half expecting to find him swooning, but she saw him giving her a calculating look. She knew that look, he used it when he was talking to suspects or reluctant informants. He was sizing her up, looking for an angle, planning a hustle, if that was still something he did. For some reason, Judy was oddly relieved to find he wasn't sitting there drooling. As she reached them, assistant director Fetterworth supplied her greeting for her.

"Everyone, this is Lieutenant Charlotte Granger from the Mammalian Military Force. Apologies Ma'am but formal introductions may have to wait, Director Stagg is looking to get started."

"Well, nice to meet you all then," the lieutenant spoke in a clear, bright voice, "Let's get to work, shall we?"

As they all filed in, Judy and Nick could easily feel the tension in the air. Director Stagg was leaning over his desk on one side of the room and staring at Chief Bogo at the other side, who stood at the other end of a long conference table, arms crossed, and glaring right back at the buck. The office reflected the personality of its owner; the desk was neat, with no decorations to speak of, and the conference table was simple stained wood ringed with standard wheeled office chairs.

As the mammals took their seats, Bogo remained standing, and Judy nervously scooched her chair into the table, eyeing him. Stagg waited for the sound of rolling chairs to stop before taking a deep breath in through his nose and blowing it out in a huff. He broke his staring contest with Bogo and swept his eyes around the table as he spoke.

"Well, we're all here now. I'm sure introductions were made, and if not they'll have to wait. So I'll start us off. First and foremost, you two," he said, pointing towards Nick and Judy, "you _royally_ fucked this up."

Judy's mouth opened in shock and she started on a reply before the buck angrily cut her off.

"Don't even start Hopps! Your chief already gave me your story about following a lead on a potential kidnapping and I'm calling one-hundred percent _bullshit_ on that! Maybe your lead was solid, but I'm not a fucking idiot. Even if you didn't know who that wolf was, you had reason to believe he was involved in this, and at that point you should have waited for my agents. After Bogo told me about your little scheme to get the guy, I had Frost and Savage ready to respond at a moment's notice, but you two just had to run off like it was a god damn action movie, and it almost got you both killed! If it was up to me, I'd have both of you riding fucking desks, far away from my case, until this shit was over and done with. But, your stubborn god damn _ass_ of a chief promised me a mountain of red tape if I cut the ZPD out of this, so now I'm stuck with you two."

Judy and Nick both glanced at Bogo at that last part. Judy was admittedly a little humbled after the Director's tirade, but it did feel good to know Bogo had gone to bat for them. She tore her eyes off Bogo to focus again on the enraged deer, who was currently staring down at his desk, the veins in his neck standing out in sharp relief. Finally after a moment, Stagg closed his eyes and seemed to calm himself. He kept his eyes closed as he started to speak.

"As it is, what's done is done, can't take anything back. And while I would've liked to take him alive, it seems like the world may be at least a little better off without that asshole. For now though, I want to hear every single detail about what happened from you two. I read the reports, and Bogo gave me his version, but I don't do second-hand information. So take it from the top."

Judy and Nick both launched into a retelling of the events that took place. Nick started with explaining how they had gotten a tip about the kidnapping, and how they had come up with the plan to approach the suspect. Judy took over then, describing the chase and then the subsequent fight. With that part, she tried to go into all the detail she could, though it made her stomach churn to recall parts of it. Stagg watched with rapt attention the whole time, not interrupting. When Judy finished, he slowly nodded his head, appearing deep in thought. Finally he spoke again, this time to Judy specifically.

"That all matches up with the reports…but I'm worried about that coyote. Obviously he's wrapped up in this shit somehow…what can you tell me about him?"

"He…" Judy began before trailing off. Who was he, really? She really didn't have the faintest idea. She collected her thoughts for a second before speaking slowly and carefully.

"He told his name was Tice Foreston, but the wolf called him Dagger. I met him once before, he actually saved my life from some falling debris at the same construction site. He was big, really big for a coyote, he almost matched up with that wolf. He had a scar along one side of his muzzle, tan fur and brown eyes…" she trailed off again, struggling with her own thoughts before speaking again in a hurried tone. "Sir, I know my opinion doesn't count for much but…he didn't seem like a bad mammal. I mean, obviously him and that wolf knew each other and he definitely knew how to fight but he didn't want to, he practically begged him to just leave. I…" Judy thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I guess that's all sir. I don't have anything else to add."

The director now stared thoughtfully at Judy. He had taken his seat during her speech and now leaned his elbows on the desk, tapping his chin. Finally he spoke again.

"Thank you Officer Hopps, that's actually some good information. I don't have anything else, so I guess now's as good a time as any to get this over with. Everyone, I'd like you all to meet Lieutenant Granger from the Mammalian Military Force. She works in intelligence, and she knows more than any mammal living about Task Force Black Knight. If you all are going to be involved in this, you should at least know the whole story, so here we go. Lieutenant?"  
The ocelot stood from her chair and walked towards the head of the table where Bogo stood.

"Thank you director, could you open the file I sent you? And Chief Bogo, if you could just move to the side just a bit?"

Bogo complied wordlessly and a projector mounted on the ceiling hummed to life, shining what Judy assumed was a mirror of the director's desk top screen onto the wall. A black background was visible for a second, with the ZIA's logo in the center, shining in gold. The logo was simple, an outline of a shield with a globe in the center, with Zootopia's location marked by a small star. The image was only there for a moment as Stagg found the file he was searching for. He double clicked and the screensaver was replaced with an image Judy recognized. This one was slightly different, but it was similar enough. A shiver ran through as she eyed the black knight's helmet, with two swords crossed just below.

"Agents, officers, I'm here today to discuss Task force Black Knight." Lt. Granger spoke seriously. She turned towards the ZPD officers in the room as she continued. "Officers, the agents already know most of what I have to say, and I know you already have a general knowledge, so I'll try to stick to specifics." She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts, and then began speaking.

"The Unified Sovereign of Mammalia has always been a target for terrorists and paramilitaries across the globe. As one of the world's largest, and most progressive nations, many see us a threat, or as an offense to their own way of life. Seven years ago, the Mammalian council decided to find a solution to this threat. The peacekeeping forces of the MMF certainly could hold their own, but the problem was that they were mostly a reactionary force. Until a threat made itself obvious, usually with some sort of attack, they practically had their hands tied. The council found their solution to this problem in this mammal."

The director hit his space bar and a new image loaded the screen. This one was a portrait of an incredibly serious looking mammal. He was a black jaguar, wearing the camouflage uniform of a soldier, and he wore a blue beret. What struck Judy the most was his expression; he stared coldly into the camera, a scowl fixed on his muzzle and his yellow eyes seemed to issue a wordless challenge.

"This mammal is Major Damon Panthera. The major made a name for himself close to ten years ago when he crushed a military coup in Sierra Lione. His mission there was a resounding success, but it left a black mark on his record. Most of the Mammalian Council and some of the Higher-ups in the military found his methods to be too ruthless and unconventional. After the coup, he found himself damn near out of a job, the Council was too scared to set him loose again. But then a few years later, they found a perfect job for him. Major Panthera became the leader of Black Knight." She motioned towards Stagg again, and a moment later, the portrait was replaced with a list of names, all with a thumbnail of a picture next to it, Judy made a quick count and found that there was thirteen mammals in total.

"Panthera was essentially given free rein to recruit whoever he wanted to his special unit. It took nearly two years to really get off the ground, but this is the final product. Every operative is a male predator, apparently the Major thought they made for the best soldiers. All the MMF was provided with was the name and species of whoever he brought in. In some cases, their military history was wiped, and in others the mammal themselves were 'wiped' off the face of the earth. Which brings me to someone you may be more familiar with. Director, if you could click the third entry from the top?"

Stagg did, and the file opened. Judy found that she did recognize the mammal; he was much younger, clearly it was an older picture, but Judy could clearly see that the mammal in the photograph was the wolf from the night before. He was wearing a green t-shirt, and was posing with his paws clasped behind his back and an eager smile on his face. On the left breast, Judy could barely read 'Future MMF Recruit' printed on the shirt.

"It took me ages and a lot of favors to dig up this picture, but this is him. Victor Blackmoore. This picture was taken almost nine years ago, just before Blackmoore went to bootcamp at eighteen years old. His name was on the list of operatives on the task force, but the MMF has no record of him serving. However, once I found this picture, I managed to track down some vets from his old unit. Apparently, Victor here was absolute machine when it came to warfare, but when his contract finished, he just disappeared. I'm sure that's when Major Panthera picked him up."

Judy stared at the picture on the screen. She knew it was the same mammal, but when she looked at the young, grinning wolf on the screen and thought of the dark, vicious mammal she had seen the night before, her brain just couldn't make the connection. Suddenly she had a thought.

"Wait, Ma'am, was Tice on the list of operatives?"

The feline gave her a wry smile before answering.

"Well, Tice _Foreston_ wasn't on the list, but Tice _McCoy_ was." The director clicked through the list with no prompting from the lieutenant until he found the right page. Judy studied the picture in the file with great interest. The picture was clearly of a younger Tice, but it wasn't as old as the one of Blackmoore. It was a professional portrait of Tice framed in the center of a Mammalian Sovereign flag. The blue background and red paw print of the flag matched with the uniform tice wore. It almost looked like her ZPD dress blues, except it was obviously a much heavier, stiffer jacket, with a deeper blue color and red piping along the edges. On both lapels, in gleaming gold was pinned the sigil of the MMF; an eagle with an olive branch clutched in its talons. Judy had to admit the photo was striking. Tice had a serious, determined look on his face, but Judy could see a glint if pride in his eyes. She also noticed that the scar along his muzzle was missing. _He must've gotten that in the military,_ Judy mused. _What did you go through Tice?_ Her attention snapped back to the present as the lieutenant continued.

"This is Tice McCoy. Born in Zootopia, McCoy was an unclaimed orphan and was raised in the city's foster care system. He got special permission from the guardians the city provided him, and on his eighteenth birthday, around five years ago, McCoy went to bootcamp. During his recruit training, he greatly exceeded the physical and mental expectations and earned himself a spot in the Combat Training Battalion. Again, he excelled at his combat training, and when he graduated he was placed in an infantry company and just a few weeks later they deployed on a peacekeeping mission in Yakistan." She gave a motion to Stagg who clicked to the next picture.

"Make no mistake, although it was called a peacekeeping mission, Yakistan was no cakewalk." Judy examined the picture as she talked. It showed a group of mammals in a desert, standing in front of some kind of tactical vehicle, like a Humvee. All the mammals were clad in tan desert style camouflage and carried assault rifles. In the very center of the picture, Judy saw Tice, caught mid-laugh next to a hyena giving a rude gesture to the camera.

"In Yakistan, McCoy was apparently in his element. Despite being only a Lance Corporal, he was given the billet of team leader, and in the nine months he was deployed he showed that he earned it. He was personally credited with multiple confirmed kills of enemy insurgents, including several high value targets in the Al-Samar insurgent group that was active in the area. He was even nominated for a silver star when he carried several wounded team members to safety before charging and destroying a fortified enemy machinegun position alone. However, before he could be awarded…Lance corporal McCoy was killed in action along with his entire squad when an IED detonated during a routine patrol in South Yakistan, just before they were set to rotate back to Mammalia."

Judy recoiled in surprise at that. That couldn't be right, there was no way.

"Ma'am that can't be true," Judy said, "I saw Tice just yesterday, I know it was him!"

Lieutenant Granger gave her a small smile and a nod.

"I believe that you did Officer, in fact I'm sure you did. I believe that Tice McCoy survived that blast and was recruited by Black Knight after he recovered. It just makes sense, with no family and suddenly no unit to wonder where he went, he would be a perfect candidate for a task force with no identities."

Judy had to agree with that; it certainly did make sense, but her mind was still reeling with questions. Before she could ask however, Nick spoke up suddenly.

"Okay, so I'm keeping up with this so far, but what I'm not getting is how these guys went from a military task force to drug dealers. Care to explain?"

Stagg stood up when he finished his question.

"Actually, that's pretty much where the ZIA comes in. Thanks lieutenant, I'll take it from here." Granger gave a slight nod and sat back down.

"So," Stagg spoke, now rapidly clicking through files on his desktop, "The ZIA was always vaguely aware of Black Knight. We heard rumors here and there, some shootout in Sibearia or a raid in Somammalia, but we figured it was the MMF's business and we stayed out. What finally caught our attention was what happened at the Golden Orchid Hotel and Casino in Pawnama." He finally stopped clicking as a picture shined on the wall. Judy realized it was a photo of what looked like a casino game floor, taken from above, except there were several armed mammals clad in black streaming across the floor. With a start, she recognized the photo from that ram's crazy conspiracy video.

"Sir," She started hesitantly, "This is a still from CCTV footage, isn't it?"

Stagg locked her with a piercing gaze for a moment, before shrugging and clicking through the desktop until he pulled up a video file. It was clearly much higher quality than whatever the ram had found. Stagg clicked play and Judy watched, holding her breath. As first, the footage seemed normal, until there was an explosion of glass from the lobby. Instantly, most mammals began running away, while at the same time, a good handful of mammals on the game floor took cover behind tables and slot machines, drawing weapons from their suit coats. Then, black clad mammals moved into the frame. Judy knew it could only be the task force. Judy quickly counted eight mammals. They were easily outnumbered by more than two to one, but that didn't seem to matter. The black clad mammals flowed between the tables like water, and every time one of the other mammals popped their heads up, a rifle barrel would flash and the mammal would drop to the floor.

Then, just as they seemed to be evening out the odds, the camera panned up to show four elevators against the wall. There were lots of mammals crowding near them, some frantically pressing the buttons, others uselessly yanking at the doors, and still others just searching for cover. Suddenly, the mammals pulling at the doors jumped back as the doors all opened at once. Three animals piled out of each elevator, all with weapons in paw. They took a few steps forward and leveled their weapons at the task force members. As the last opposing mammal on the game floor dropped, the task force barely paused for a second, before all together they turned their weapons on the elevators.

Judy actually had to look away as the rounds tore into both armed and unarmed mammals. It didn't take long; there was no cover along the wall, and it was only a few moments before all the armed mammals, along with many of the civilians lay on the ground bleeding. Judy remembered what the ram had said in his video. _Forty-three dead, countless wounded. How many were civilians?_ Judy asked herself. Stagg paused the video.

"Like I said, the ZIA usually lets the MMF do what they want, but this was a cluster-fuck we couldn't ignore. The media called it a terror attack, but we recognized what it really was and starting looking into it. The problem was, just after this, the task force went dark. The Major stopped filing his quarterly reports, they stopped submitting resupply requests, and we could barely even find any chatter about them on the nets. We searched for nearly two years and couldn't find shit. That is, until officer Hopps here started zoogling their unofficial symbol. And now here we are with one operative dead, another on the run, with who knows how many more on the loose as well."  
"So you don't believe Blackmoore was working on his own?" Nick asked.

"Definitely not. He broke the SIM card of the phone he was using, so he obviously didn't want us knowing who was calling. Also, we checked out the bank you two saw him at earlier this morning. We used a key found on the body and found 50,000 in Zootopian and 50,000 in Pawnamanian cash in a safety deposit box. If I had to guess, the cash was for buying off local muscle, bribing local law enforcement, anything they needed to get their operation off the ground. The Pawnamanian cash means we have a decent idea of where it's coming from but that country is such a hellhole, there's no way to accurately trace the bills to a bank or account. Still it's more than we knew before." The director paused, tapping his paw against the desk. "But, this does stir up a whole new pot of trouble for us. If Blackmoore had a partner in the city, I'm sure he already knows he's dead, and that you two were there to see it. I also heard the news reporting a coyote named Tice on the scene, and anyone from the task force would be able to make the connection and know he's here. What that tells me is that we need to find him before they do, but that you two may now have a target on your backs. These guys aren't the type to leave witnesses."

Judy tried to keep a calm face as she thought about that. The director was definitely right, Blackmoore had even said it himself. Judy had heard and seen too much; if Tice hadn't intervened, he would have killed her for it on the spot. And now there was potentially more mammals on the loose who were just as eager to silence her, and maybe even looking to get some revenge for their fallen comrade. She cast a look over at Nick and saw him using one of his typical masks, but Judy knew him well enough to see the cracks in his composure. The idea had him rattled as well.

"Officers," Stagg began. Judy was surprised to hear him use a slightly gentler tone this time. "I know you went through a lot last night, particularly you, Hopps. But I need the both of you to be back in fighting shape, ASAP. I hope you don't want out now, because now you're stuck with this through the end, both for your own safety and because I'll take all the eyes I can get. But this time," he growled his eyes flashing, "If anything goes down, you two _will_ wait for my agents. Am I clear?"

"Perfectly sir." Nick answered seriously. "We learned our lesson last night. It won't happen again." Judy nodded, she definitely agreed with that and Nick summed it up nicely.

"Good. As soon as Chief Bogo allows, I want you two back on a patrol route in the city keeping an eye out. Unfortunately, we don't have much to go on. The foreman from the construction site is still in the hospital, but the company's employment records show no history of a Tice Foreston, so I'm willing to bet he was paid under the table in cash which means we have no address. Still, I want you two to start by talking to some of the guys from the site. Even if they can only narrow down where he lives to a district, we can at least have a place to start." Judy liked that plan and her and Nick both nodded in agreement. Stagg continued tapping his hoof against his desk pensively for a moment. Finally he spoke again.

"Well, I guess that's all I have for the moment. Make no mistake, we are now closer than ever to putting a stop to these mammals and whatever it is they're doing, but we have to play this smart and careful. Agents, get with the officers after and exchange contact information. You're dismissed, but I'd like a moment with the chief and the lieutenant." Judy and Nick hopped down from their chairs and followed the agents outside. Judy pulled out her phone, expecting to take down a number, but Skye simply scooped the phone out of her paws and tapped away at her screen before handing it back to her. Judy saw a new contact created, simply labeled Skye.

"There! Now you can get in contact with me whenever you need to!" she said brightly.

Judy laughed for a moment before looking at her quizzically.

"But what if you're busy? Shouldn't I take down Jack's number as well?"

Suddenly the arctic fox seemed strangely flustered, her eyes flicking between Judy and Jack and Nick.

"Oh! Well um…you know, I like _always_ have my phone on me, there's really no need for that…or maybe Nick could take his and then we have…you know…multiple…options…" She trailed off, mumbling to herself. Judy stared, confused, before she realized Jack was quietly laughing to himself, and shaking his head. He reached into his pocket and passed his phone over to Nick and spoke with more than a little humor in his voice.

"Here, how about this. I'll take Nick's number, you've got Skye's and we can just exchange numbers through text later." Nick eyed the hare curiously for a second, but typed in his number anyways. For her part, Skye still looked embarrassed but she at least wasn't protesting the arrangement. After Nick passed the phone back, Jack stuck his paw out again and gave both officers a firm shake.

"Well we're going to head out. It was good to meet both of you, and I hope we can get some good work done on this case, together." Judy and Nick offered similar sentiments and the two agents turned and started to walk away towards the elevator.

"Huh." Nick said to no one in particular.

"What? Judy asked, looking up at him.

"That was just a little weird right? It almost seemed like Skye didn't want you and Jack to have each other's numbers. I mean, if I didn't know any better I would've thought she was…jealous…or…something…" Nick trailed off, his eyes widening. Judy followed his gaze and her own jaw dropped. Just before the elevator doors closed, Judy caught a glimpse of the two agents standing in the elevator, and wrapped possessively around the hare was the vixen's fluffy white tail.

"Well shit," nick mused, "I guess the office dating rules are pretty lax here." He laughed at his own joke and then glanced over at Judy. She didn't look back at him however, and after a second, he realized his partner's eyes were locked onto his own tail. He suppressed a laugh, and then gave his tail a flick.

"Hey, Carrots! Eyes up here!" Judy's eyes shot wide and she jumped, a paw covering her mouth. Nick busted out laughing at her reaction, and Judy rolled her eyes, getting ready to shoot a jab back at him, when a cool voice spoke behind them.

"Excuse me, officers? I was wondering if I could have a word with you?" Judy turned and found herself in front of Lieutenant Granger. Instantly she threw on her most professional face.

"Yes, of course Ma'am. Officer Judy Hopps, at your service." She tried not to roll her eyes as she heard a quiet snort of laughter from Nick beside her. She was worried he would offend the ocelot, but instead she actually chuckled softly.

"Relax officer, please. You're not a soldier, you don't have to be _at my service._ Hell, you're not even required to call me Ma'am." Judy did relax at that, and actually felt a little silly for reacting like she did. Obviously this mammal wasn't some kind of stuffy rulebook waving bureaucrat.

"Well I think we'lll still stick with it for now Ma'am, as long as we're working." Nick joked easily with her, apparently unfazed by the position she held. "So what can we do for you?"

Her face grew suddenly more serious, and Judy thought she looked maybe a bit worried. She looked over her shoulder to ensure the office door was shut and then leaned towards the two officers.

"Well, about what you said in there, about McCoy being a good mammal? I agree with you. McCoy was an exceptional soldier, and I don't just mean his skills. Every account we have on file from his fellow soldiers describes him as a mammal who truly cares for every one of his squadmates personally, and we don't have any evidence of any misconduct, on or off the battlefield. I know this all looks bad, especially that video, but from what I can see, he's a good mammal caught in a bad situation. And I'm worried, if the director or his agents get too carried away with finishing this case…well I just want to avoid anything bad happening to him if it can be helped. If you find him, and you have the chance, please give him the option to come quietly."

"Ma'am, I promise I will do everything I can to help him out. Believe me, I owe him big time." Judy did her best to make her words sound as sincere as possible, giving the ocelot a determined look.

"Thank you officer." She replied, giving Judy a sad smile. As the door opened behind her, she quickly said her goodbyes and headed off to the elevator. As the door swung all the way open, Bogo's considerable bulk filled the frame. He gave his officers a neutral look and then nodded for them to follow, heading towards the stairs instead of the elevator. Judy and Nick followed wordlessly as they went down three levels to the ground floor. In the lobby the receptionist cheerily wished them a good day and Bogo replied with the same. He pushed the door open and Judy shivered and squinted as the cold Tundra air hit her and the sun flashed off the white snow. All three hurried towards the cruiser, huddling against the cold as they piled into the vehicle. After all the doors were shut, Bogo twisted in his seat and spoke in a calm tone.

"You two did well today, I'm glad to see you held up as well as you did. That buck can be a stubborn ass and ruder than hell but you two took it in stride. Now, as far as this case goes, I've decided I will allow you to interview the witnesses once the hospital contacts me, but that's it! At least for…" He thought to himself, "…Three days. At the minimum. For what it's worth, the director was right about one thing. To get this done, you two will have to be in your prime condition and I will not send you out into the field without time to rest and recover."

Judy didn't even try to argue. She was just happy the chief was letting them conduct the interviews, and the nagging pain across her torso was more than enough to convince her not to argue.

"And furthermore, if you do get into a situation, you _will_ call in those two agents. I don't want you approaching anything or anyone without back up. We got lucky once, I doubt it'll happen again."

Again Judy agreed, and this time Nick answered for them both.

"We both agree Sir. No more action movie bullshit for us."

The chief snorted and twisted back to the front, turning the keys in the ignition.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Wilde."

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **So first off, I'd like to apologize for the long break between chapters here. I was out in the field for a few weeks, which for all the Non-Military folks here just means i didn't have any access to my computer or Wifi so most of this was written on a cellphone and transferred over when I could. But anyways, this chapter ended up insanely long! I'm hoping its not too much of an information dump, I just really needed to get all this down to set up things in the future, so if anything seems real vague in this chapter, don't worry all will be clear eventually. Also, if there's any confusion with any military terms I use, google should help, and if you want a visual to help picture the uniforms i describe go ahead and google USMC uniforms. As always, thanks for reading, I hope you all enjoyed it! Til Next time- MilitantMammal**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Just bounced on her paws as her and Nick stood outside the doors of Mother Mercy Hospital. She had gotten a good night's sleep after their visit to the ZIA and now felt ready to tackle this case head on, even though Bogo still had them limited to just interviews and desk work.

"You ready?" She asked Nick.

"Of course. Let's get going." He walked towards the doors, the sensors automatically sliding the glass open in front of him.

The officers approached the desk where an antelope dressed in scrubs typed on a computer. The desk was annoyingly _just_ tall enough for Judy's ears to stick over, so Nick took the lead.

"Hi there," he said smoothly. "Me and my partner here are on official ZPD business, we were wondering if we could get the room numbers of Misters...Bill Pine and Jeffrey Shortgrass?" He casually flashed his badge as proof, as the two had dressed in street clothes for their assignment. The antelope checked the badge and then typed away for a moment before replying.

"Of course Officer Wilde. is in room 303, third floor, but has already been released."

Nick thanked the mammal, but as they walked away the two shared a look. It was good that at least one witness was still here, but now they'd have to waste time searching for the zebra. The two took the elevator up to the third floor. They padded down the hall until they reached room 303 and found the door open.

" ?" Judy called in softly as she entered. There was only occupied bed, situated by the window and the small mammal in it turned at her voice. Judy winced at the sight. Half the beaver's face was wrapped in white gauze, centered over his ruined nose. His eyes weren't covered however, and Judy could see them open in surprise.

"Oh! Good morning officers." He sounded alert, but his speech was slurred and nasally, and Judy could see the mess of his teeth, one totally missing and one cracked clean in half. She approached slowly, speaking politely.

"Good morning sir. We're here on behalf of the ZPD. I hope you're feeling okay."

"Eh, I'm doing about as good as I can. Thanks to you, Officer Wilde." He gestured to Nick with a paw. "The doctors told me what you did at the scene, said I'd be dead if it wasn't for you. Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you."

"No problem, Bill. We were actually wondering if maybe you could help us out as well."

The beaver looked back at him quizzically.

"Well sure, I'll do anything I can, but I already told the ZPD everything I remember about the attack."

"Actually, we were wondering what you could tell us about your employee, Tice Foreston."

At this, the beaver suddenly looked uncomfortable, pushing himself up in bed and fidgeting with his sheets.

"Ah well...I don't know if _employee_ is the best term...more of a helper, a day laborer, really..."

Judy strode to his bedside and gave him a pointed look.

"We already know Tice wasn't on your official employee roster."

Bill looked back and forth between the two officers, panic in his eyes before he sat forward and began talking frantically.

"Okay, yes, Tice was working under the table. I know that isn't strictly _legal_ but the kid came to me a while back, he said he was a vet and was real down on his luck and just needed work. I told him my crew was full but he said he'd work for whatever cash I could give him. I couldn't just turn him away! He was a hard worker, a good mammal, I...I just couldn't toss him out." He hung his head now, seemingly resigned to his fate.

"Easy buddy," Nick said soothingly, "We're not here for labor law infractions. We just need to find Tice and we obviously can't get the info we need from your employment records."

The beaver looked up now, relief flooding his face. But then he suddenly seemed crestfallen again.

"Oh...I'm sorry officers, I might not be much help then. Like I said, he was a good kid, but he was a real quiet guy. Grabbed a beer with the crew after work sometimes but never really said much about himself, never gave an address or even his neighborhood. All I can say is he took the bus to work and mentioned a few times he had been in the military, that's about it. I'm real sorry." He finished sheepishly.

"That's alright. Is there anyone on the crew who might know more? Did he have any close friends?" Judy probed.

"Hm...he did spend a decent amount of time talking to-" Suddenly his eyes shot open looking beyond the two officers. "Hotwire!"

Judy and Nick looked at each other in confusion.

"Hotwire?" Nick asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Shit, sorry, Jeff I mean!" The beaver gestured towards the door. Nick and Judy turned to see a shocked looking zebra holding two coffees in his paws. The heavy bandage on one side of his muzzle helped to identify him as the other mammal assaulted by Victor. Nick walked up to the mammal, sticking out his paw.

"Jeffrey Shortgrass? Nick Wilde, ZPD. We were wondering if we could have a word."

The zebra stepped inside and placed the coffees on a table, warily accepting Nick's shake. He seemed nervous and began to wring his paws together as he spoke.

"Yeah, sure...what about?"

"About Tice Foreston." Judy answered. The zebra seemed to only get worse at the mention of the name, and he took a moment before answering.

"Yeah I can talk, but is there any way we could talk outside?"

"Whatever makes you feel comfortable." Nick answered. Judy and Nick both said thier goodbyes to Bill, telling him to contact them with any further information before stepping out into the hallway with Jeffrey. Before they could even start their questioning, the zebra wheeled on them with a question of his own.

"Tice killed that wolf, didn't he?"

He spoke hurriedly, in a quiet, anxious tone. Nick and Judy stood shocked to silence as he eyed them nervously before continuing. "I mean, he went running off after him, and then he never came down. No one can find him, and now two cops show up and-"

"Jeffrey." Judy cut in, "Tice is part of an ongoing investigation now, we can't give out any information pertaining to the case. We just need to know what you know about him."

The zebra looked like this had just confirmed what he asked, and his eyes cut to the floor. Judy got the feeling they might be losing their shot at information if they didn't gain the zebra's trust, so she took a chance.

"Look, we're not trying to arrest Tice for murder. We just need to find him and talk to him, and time is of the essence. He may even be in trouble. We're trying to help him here."

At this, Jeffrey looked up, eyeing her with suspicion before apparently deciding she may just be worth trusting.

"Okay. But I'm only telling you this because I know you two are good cops." He took a breath, collecting his thoughts. "So one day it was pouring like hell at the end of the shift. Tice always took the bus but it was at least a few blocks to the nearest bus stop so I offered him a ride. He tried to argue but eventually I wore him down and he got in. He tried to get me to just take him to the stop but eventually he gave up. Had me drive him for a little bit and then told me stop right near the edge of Sahara square. I was gonna just leave but...I got curious. I mean, when he showed up at work he'd always have a jacket and hat in his bag, so why is he living so close to the heat? So, I did a spin around the block and saw him getting on a bus to Tundratown." At this he paused for a moment, looking between Nick and Judy. "That's all I've got. Look, he's a good guy, really. Even if he did kill that wolf. So if he's in trouble, you two need to find him and help him."

"We will." Nick said seriously, stretching up to pat the zebra on the shoulder. Jeffrey nodded and headed into Bill's room, shutting the door behind him. Nick heaved a sigh before turning to Judy.

"God Carrots, its like we're chasing some kind of saint, not some bad ass special operative. Haven't heard a bad word about the guy yet."

"I know. Gives me all the more reason to find him. You really meant it right? When you said you'd help him?"

Nick chuckled and shook his head.

"Course I did. He's saved your life...twice now? I figure I owe him."

Judy laughed herself.

"Good. And now we actually have something to work with. I'll pass it on to the agents."

"Good idea. Where should we head to now? We knocked the interviews out before noon, and now we have all day."

Judy thought for a moment, but then had an idea she figured Nick might hate.

"Well...it's a long shot but Blackmoore's body should still be in the morgue. Doctor Proquill could have found something out."

Nick paled at the idea.

"Fine. But...maybe we can wait til _after_ lunch to go follow up on that?"

* * *

On Nick Wilde's long and detailed list of places he hates, the ZPD morgue certainly finds a spot somewhere at the top.

He'd been there before, always on official business of course, but he had never managed to shake his feeling of unease in the place. I mean, what's more creepy than a dark room in the basement of the ZPD full of dead mammals? And now, standing in the cold, sterile room, bathed under unforgiving fluorescents in front of a dead, naked wolf on a cold slab, he decided this place might just jump up a few more spots up the list.

"So did you find anything Doctor?" Judy spoke for the two of them. She knew Nick couldn't stand this place, so she was eager to get this over with, but she also knew she couldn't force anything. The doctor was always thorough, and would lay the evidence out in his own manner.

"Yes, Officer Hopps, Ive found three points of interest. We'll start with the body's general condition." He gestured towards the corpse, covered to the waist by a sheet, but with his torso exposed.

"The subject has very defined muscle mass, and his internal organs including heart and lungs seemed to be in exquisite condition, implying a lifestyle of vigorous physical exercise. However, the outside of his body is a different story." Using a gloved paw, he indicates several marks and whorls of scars on the wolf.

"Besides the obvious wounds that causeehis death, this mammal has collected a multitude of scars, many of which in my opinion are from gunshots, knives, shrapnel, and all manner of instruments of death. One scar in particular is my next point."

"You mean the tattoo on his arm?" Judy asked.

"Precisely Officer, except it isn't _exactly_ a tattoo, more of a brand really." He pointed with a gloved paw to the helm and swords on the forearm. "I've seen this kind of marking before. It's popular with some of the less... _civilized_ tribes of mammals in the remote corners of the globe, but many artists have refined the practice, such as the case is here. The skin is treated with a chemical that restricts the growth of fur, and then another chemical is laid into the skin to give it it's raised appearance. More traditional tattoo ink can then be used to darken the image, resulting in a 'tattoo' of sorts like you see here."

Judy leaned in to see what the doctor was talking about, and sure enough he was right. The wolf had a patch of skin just a few inches on each side that was completely clear of fur. The skin there was raised and dyed in the shape that she recognized.

"This process can be extremely painful. Whatever that mark is, it clearly means a lot to this mammal."

"What was this third thing you were talking about Doc?" Nick spoke pleadingly, clearly trying to speed the conversation along.

"Ah yes! That was the most unusual bit."

He reached into a metal pan on the edge of the table with metal tongs and carefully held up a tooth. Nick visibly blanched and decided he would let Judy handle this.

"What's unusual about a tooth?" She asked, confused.

"Because, Officer, this is not a simple tooth. I knocked it loose during my dental exam. The root was still intact, but under this cap, I found a small cyanide pill. A small dose, but more than enough to kill this mammal."

Judy's eyes widened as the porcupine carefully set the tooth back in the pan before speaking.

"Now, officers. I have found this case unusual from the start, as I was given almost none of the usual information I expect when a body comes into my morgue. And now I find even more unusual circumstances on the body itself, but I've been told by the Chief that I'm not to be looking to deep into anything I find. However, in my professional opinion, I would guess this mammal engaged in an incredibly dangerous profession, and any associates he may have should be handled as such. Did you have any other questions?"

"No that will be it. Thank you Doctor." Judy grabbed Nick by the arm and steered him out of the cold examination room. Outside Nick leaned against a wall and took a deep breath. Judy gave him a moment to collect himself. When he was ready, he turned to her.

"So, What crucial piece of evidence did we gain on our little trip to Doctor Proquill's shop of horrors?"

Judy rolled her eyes at him. She didn't love the morgue either but it wasn't anything to panic about.

"Well, if Blackmoore had that tattoo, the others might too, maybe like some kind of unit thing. And now we know that these guys aren't going to come quietly. That wolf had a suicide pill in his mouth! Even if we manage to corner one...I just hope we can take them alive." She suddenly looked troubled, tapping her foot absently.

"Hey," Nick said softly, "You can't worry about Tice having one of those. If we find him, we'll make sure he knows we're on his side, and if it comes down to it, we could tranq him. Hard to crunch your own tooth when you're passed out drooling."

Judy nodded. She knew Nick was right, but the sight of that little capsule just served to kindle the fire she already felt. She needed to find this mammal.

* * *

Judy tapped absently at the keys of her laptop. It had been nearly a full day since her and Nick's trip to the morgue. She was still in her pajamas, cross legged on her bed with her laptop propped up in her lap. She had felt good getting some work done yesterday, but her and Nick had basically exhausted all the duties that Bogo had allowed them to do, so now she had spent all day in bed trying to find anything she could that could help the case. She had already tried searching Tice Foreston and McCoy with nothing coming up, not that she really expected anything from that.

With nothing to really go on, she had started by zoogling the incident that happened in Pawnama. The Golden Orchid Hotel And Casino had turned up plenty of results, most of which had been useless to her. Apparently, the place was still in operation and the first few results were all ads for travel agencies offering vacation packages. After the rest of what she had read about Pawnama, she wasn't sure why anyone would want a trip there.

The country was practically a war zone. Outside of the capital, Pawnama City, the country was mostly dense jungle with rumors of guerrilla military groups and cartels carving out their own territories. The city itself didn't seem much better, as Judy could find countless articles describing rampant corruption and virtually uncontrolled gang activity. She shook her head, realizing now how lucky she must be to live in a city like Zootopia.

Judy decided to narrow her search to 'Golden Orchid Pawnama Incident'. This brought up somewhat more useful articles. They all said different things, calling it a terrorist attack, or a cartel shootout or a failed political assassination, but they all shared one thing in common; none of them had any mention of the MFF or Black Knight. Judy sighed, closing her browser. She stared at her screensaver for a minute, the anxiousness creeping back in. She thought maybe all the progress they had made would keep her from getting antsy but it barely helped. _It's just a few days, and I'm sure the agents are out on the job right now_ she reminded herself.

Her phone dinged quietly on the bed next to her. She picked it up and saw a text from Nick. _Hey what are you doing?_ It read. _Research_ she typed back. Nick replied with a sarcastic little emoji, the tiny cartoon fox rolling its eyes. Judy rolled her's right back before another message popped up.

 _Aren't we supposed to be resting?_

 _This is how I rest._ Judy typed back. Then, her phone started to ring with a MuzzleTime call, of course, from Nick. Judy hit the accept button and was met with Nick giving her a very serious look.

"Carrots." He said.

"Nicholas." She shot back, using his full name to annoy him.

"Sitting in your room obsessing over this case is no way to relax, and also...dear god are you still in pajamas? It's almost three in the afternoon!"

"What do you wear when relax?" She asked.

"Three piece suit. At all times."

Judy snorted a laugh.

"Seriously though Carrots, I wish you'd lay off a little bit. We already got all the info we could and passed it along. There's nothing we can do today, or tomorrow for that matter."

"Well what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" She asked.

"Well..." Nick began, "If you're feeling up to it later we could go grab a bite to eat. I heard this new bistro place opened up by the precinct."

Judy thought for a moment and then made an exaggerated show of stretching her shoulder and prodding at her sore abdomen. She was just teasing, but she actually was starting to feel better, her shoulder pain was nearly gone and her stomach pain had faded to a dull ache.

"Hmmm...I guess I'll survive a dinner out." She said.

"Great. I'll meet you at your place around six-thirty okay?"

"Six-thirty? Isn't that a little late?" She asked.

"Oh well...I just hear this place has good specials around then..." Nick said quickly, then added more smoothly, "Plus, that'll give me time to get out of this suit and into something more appropriate."

"Har-har." Judy said, shaking her head. "Okay, fine. Six-thirty it is."

"See you then." Nick winked, and then ended the call. Judy closed her laptop and placed it off to the side, hopping up to get ready. Nick might lounge around in a suit, but if she was going to be seen in public, she would need time to get ready.

* * *

As six-thirty rolled around, Judy sat on her front steps waiting. She had decided to dress casual, a pair of her favorite old jeans and a light blue shirt open over a black tank-top. Though, the jeans fit a little tighter than the last time she wore them, but she was happy to attribute that to the new squat program she'd been working on in the weight room. She smiled as she spotted Nick coming down the sidewalk. She was glad to see she hadn't underdressed, as he was just wearing jeans too with a dark green flannel rolled up past his forearms.

"Hey there Fluff." He called as he walked up. Judy stood up to greet him but then Nick stopped just short, with an exaggerated look of surprise.

"Woah. New squat routine? You gotta share that program with me."

"Shut up Nick!" Judy cried, giving him a playful slug to the arm. Still, she felt her ears heat up a little bit. Damn sly fox.

Nick laughed off the punch as the two walked towards the restaurant.

When they had arrived and ordered, Judy had to admit this place didn't really seem Nick's type. It was some kind of new-age fusion place, with all kinds of crazy stuff on the menu. Nick was usually more of a simple guy when it came to food, but Judy couldn't complain, she thought the place was great and it was good to be out with Nick. Of course, she had to relay to him all the info she had learned about Pawnama, and he had tolerated that for a bit before gradually breaking her off from it without her even noticing. Soon she found herself laughing along with Nick about whatever random topic he could come up with. She eventually realized what he was doing, but she didn't mind. It actually was good to forget all this stuff, even if just for a little bit.

Eventually once their plates were cleaned off, the waitress came by and grabbed them, and asked if there was anything else she could get them. Judy was about to say no when Nick spoke up.

"Actually, could we maybe get a couple coffees?"

"Sure thing!" The waitress replied, heading back toward the kitchen. Judy gave Nick a puzzled look.

"Coffee? Nick, it's past seven-thirty at night!"

"So? This is a bistro Carrots. That means it's French. And in Purris, you always get coffee after dinner." He laid on the honey thick when he said that, and Judy found herself sighing and accepting it as the waitress dropped off the two steaming cups along with the check. The two kept chatting as they sipped their coffee, but Judy kept noticing Nick stealing glances at his watch. She started to get suspicious. _He's the one who ordered the coffees, why's_ he _so concerned with the time?_ She thought. Finally just after eight o'clock, she snapped.

"Nick, you keep checking your watch every three seconds. Got some kind of hot date I'm keeping you from?" She jabbed.

"Nonsense, Carrots just keeping track of time. Speaking of time, you ready to go?"

"Hmm...yes." Judy said, eyeing him carefully as she finished off her coffee. They stood up together and Nick pushed open the door, holding it open for her. As she stepped into the night air, she looked across the street and saw a familiar group of animals. And suddenly it all clicked.

A random bistro _right near the precinct._ Eight o'clock at night, _right at the ZPD shift change, on Friday night._

"Well look at that. What a happy coincidence." Nick purred above her.

"Hey guys look! It's Hopps and Wilde! Come on, we're heading to Blues!" Bellowed officer McHorn.

Judy turned to look venomously up at Nick.

"You sly fox." She hissed.

"Dumb bunny." He shrugged. "We'd be rude to not to go for _at least_ one drink." The smug smile on his face was absolutely toxic. Judy sighed and accepted her fate as her and Nick stepped across the street to meet the officers.

* * *

It wasn't that Judy didn't like her coworkers, or even that she didn't like Blue Lights. She was just never much of a drinker, so she always felt awkward out a place like this, particularly after her last appearance at the unofficial precinct bar with ended with a booming headache and some less than flattering stories to deal with in the bullpen. Now she found herself at a table next to McHorn who had forgone a glass and was drinking his beer straight from the pitcher, and Clawhauser who had asked not once or twice, but five times if she was _really sure_ her and Nick hadn't been on a date. The fox in question just then returned from the bar, a bottle of beer in each paw.

"Push over, big guy." He said to Clawhauser, getting him to make room so he could sit next to Judy. He placed one of the beers in front of her. Reading the label, she saw it was some craft brew Carrot ale. At least Nick knew her taste in beer. She picked up the bottle and took a sip, trying her best not to look sulky. Nick was too hard to fool however. He leaned over to speak into her ear over the noise of the crowded bar.

"Hey, if you really don't wanna stay we can just get one beer and leave." He continued on sincerely, "But really, I wish you'd try to have some fun. These are all our friends, we're just grabbing some beers and hanging out."

Judy considered that for a moment, and finally decided she was being silly. He was right, she had known all these cops for almost a year but had barely ever been out. Maybe she should lighten up a little.

"No, it's fine. Just no carrot margaritas this time!" Nick laughed as he nodded in agreement.

"Hey Judy!" A voice called from the other end of the table. It was Officer Trunkaby, the huge elephant of the force. "Haven't seen you around the station the past few days, what's up?"

"Bogo's got me resting, after what happened at that construction site." She called back. That got a chorus of groans and and a wave of nods from the officers.

"Well shit, I'm glad." Said Wolfard from next to Trunkaby. "We all read the reports, it sounds like you might need it." This got more sympathetic nods from the officers but then McHorn grumbled next to her.

"Yeah, but it left us picking up the extra shift."

"Oh shut up Dave. You order a pitcher for every round we get, you could probably use the overtime!" Called Delgado the lion. The whole table shared a good-natured laugh at that, and Judy was glad the topic was off of the other night. As the officers continued to rib at each other, she began to feel more comfortable, even throwing the occasional jab out herself. Just then the rookie, Raj appeared at the table bearing a tray loaded with little glasses. Everyone cheered as he set the tray down, but Nick raised his voice above the din.

"Oh come on guys, don't tell me you're making the rookie buy all the drinks!"

"Just this round Nick, don't worry!" Wolfard answered, making placating gestures with his paws. "So, what did you get us Raj?"

"Told the lady just what you said, that I was the new guy here for my round."

"You've done fine work, kid." Wolfard said seriously, clapping the leopard on the shoulder. The little glasses began to find their way around the table, and soon Judy found herself with a shot in front of herself along with everyone else. She eyed the liquor like it might get up and bite her and then looked up at Nick who looked back at her dubiously.

"Nick...should I?" She asked meekly.

"I mean...it won't _kill_ you." He said carefully. Then a cheer went up as all the officers raised the glasses and Judy, caught up in the moment, raised hers along with them. Wolfard stood up, placing a paw over his heart.

"Hear, hear! I propose a toast. To our newest rookie! May your career be exciting enough to write a book about, and may you last long enough to retire as fat as Clawhauser!" The cops all cheered again, even Clawhauser, before downing their shots. Judy took a deep breath and followed suit, bracing herself. At first, everything was fine, and then she coughed as the liquor burned its way down her throat.

"Beer, Carrots! Drink the beer!" Shouted Nick. Judy briefly questioned the logic of adding more alcohol to the equation but she quickly took a sip. As she did, she felt the much more mellow brew mostly wash away the burning in her throat and she gasped in relief. She turned to Nick, mouth gaping and found him giving her a cautious grin.

"It's called a chaser. Don't worry, you'll learn." He gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Jeez Hopps, is that your first time with shots?" Delgado crowed from across the table. Judy gave an embarrassed nod and the table erupted in good-natured laughter. "Don't worry, we'll make a natural out of you yet!"

Slowly, Judy began to relax more and more. She was sure the booze was helping as she felt warmth radiating from her stomach and flushing her face, but she was trying to pace herself now, just barely getting onto her second beer after nearly an hour and a half at the bar. Soon she found herself roaring laughing along with the whole crowd, but quickly the conversation turned towards another round of shots for the table.

"Hey Wolfard, what's that batshit crazy shot you told me about?" McHorn yelled across the table.

"The Four Horses? Oh no, hell no, I haven't ordered one of those since I was a Lance corporal drinking at the base bar back in Twenty-Nine Pines!"

Judy cocked her head at that. If she hadn't heard it from Lieutenant Granger, she probably wouldn't even know what a 'lance corporal' was, but now she knew it was a rank in the military. She had never even known Wolfard had been in the service.

"Let me get this one guys, I promise it'll be better than what the rookie brought back last time." Nick said, rising with a devilish grin.

And to Judy, that shot did seem a little better. Maybe it was better stuff, or maybe a shot and a few beers just made her mind this one less? She honestly couldn't tell. She forgot that train of thought as a new song came on the speakers. Well, not a new song, she was pretty sure Africa by Dodo was probably older than she was, but it was still a good one. Then, the whole table watched in amazement as McHorn, the ornery rhino of Precinct One heaved himself up from the table and walked up to Trunkaby and daintily offered one of his huge paws.

"Care to dance, Officer?"

The officers were about to collectively bust out laughing when much to their surprise, she took his paw and they strode towards the small dance floor in the back. Mammals hurried along in front of them, laughing as they dragged tables and chairs away to clear more room for the two.

"Holy shit." Delgado deadpanned, earning him a slap on the arm from Clawhauser.

"Shut up you! I think it's sweet." He said, propping his chin up on his paws and watching. As the song carried on, the officers realized they had gained a new member in their crowd. Fangmeyer stood just behind their table, paws on his hips and eyes wide, staring at the two huge, waltzing mammals. Finally he shook his head and threw his paws up, looking around the table in bewilderment.

"God damn! I mean, I know I'm late and everything but...what the hell did I miss?"

"Don't worry big fella, I'm sure you didn't miss all the dancing." Nick shot back with a wink. Judy was sure the officers had missed it, just like how they missed the look of horror on the tiger's face. Then As a new song kicked on, Judy realized he was right, they _hadn't_ missed all the dancing. In a moment of inspiration, she grabbed Nick's paw and dragged him off towards the dance floor.

"Carrots! What the hell?" He yelped, digging in his heels.

"Hey! You drag me to a bar, I drag to you the dance floor! Fair is fair!" Nick relented a little, or at least stopped actively resisting. As they hit the dance floor, the song really picked up. It was a newer song, Judy didn't know the name but it had a good beat and was _almost_ loud enough to drown out the excited squeal from Clawhauser.

Judy whirled into movement, finding the beat and just going with it. For his part, Nick was more reserved, but he had rhythm and apparently knew at least enough moves to look like he knew what he was doing. Judy even saw a grin tugging at his lips and laughed at the moment. Then as she looked around, she saw more mammals joining them on the floor. The huge mammal duo of McHorn and Trunkaby we're out again, Delgado has managed to snag some pretty lioness from somewhere, and Judy even saw Wolfard twirling a thoroughly horrified looking Raj around in a pirouette. She almost tripped over herself at that, and wondered exactly how much the wolf had been drinking that night. She considered saving the poor leopard until a poorly timed spin found Wolfard tied up in the chubby of arms of a grinning Clawhauser.

The officers danced til they felt like they would fall down, and when they eventually settled back down they laughed until they thought they couldn't breathe. Eventually after one more beer for Judy and a few more hours, the night started to wind down. Once Delgado caught Wolfard starting to doze off into his beer, everyone agreed it might be time to head out. The crew said their goodbyes in the chilly night air and all began wandering off to their homes or calling cabs. Finally Judy and Nick found themselves walking alone down the sidewalk, laughing their heads off at the absurdity of the night. They almost passed Judy's place, they were so wrapped up in their conversation. Or maybe it was the drinks. Judy was certainly feeling them as she climbed the first step of her stairs and turned towards Nick.

"Hey Nick," She said, trying hard to ignore the hard buzz she was feeling. "Thanks for getting me out tonight. Even though you pulled a classic sly fox trick, I had a really good time."

"Well thanks for letting me drag you out." He said with an easy, genuine smile. "We should go do this again sometime."

Judy snorted out a laugh.

"Nick of course we're going to, it's not like you're trying to win me over for a second date!" Nick laughed at that, before cocking an eyebrow and giving Judy an over-the-top smooth look.

"Well if I was, would I get it?"

He was just trying to tease her, but he was a little shocked to see Judy didn't get predictably flustered and slug his arm or something. Instead, she gave him a look right back, a heavy-lidded, suggestive look. Nick felt his nerves rattling as she Slowly leaned in, closing the distance between them inch by inch until finally...she shot forward and pecked a kiss onto Nick's cheek. He flinched, but didn't move away as Judy leaned in close to his ear and said two words in a husky whisper.

" _Dumb Fox."_

Just as quick as Judy moved in, she now pulled back and laughed behind her paw at the dumbfounded look on Nick's face. He was frozen in place, mouth open in surprise. She laughed again and then leaned in and gave Nick a tight hug.

"Thanks again Nick. Good night!" She chirped before bounding up her steps and into her building.

Nick stayed rooted in place for a moment, trying to get his mind back in gear. Finally he shook himself and turned to walk away. But as he did, he couldn't help but rub his cheek a little, talking to himself as he walked.

"Good night... _sly bunny."_

 **Author's Notes**

 **Hello everyone! So for anyone who has been following this story, I'm sorry again for taking so long to upload a new chapter. Most of you already probably realize I'm in the military, and I actually have a deployment coming up that we've been getting ready for. It's calming down now, so the good news is I'll probably be updating faster now, but the bad news is I have about three weeks to get this done, so buckle up I guess. So anyways, about this chapter. This was originally going to be the leadup to a much larger chapter, but that would've taken a few more days so I decided to just put a short, light chapter just to keep yall busy. And also, I snuck a few more military references in here. The Four Horses that Wolfard mentions is based on a real drink called the Four Horsemen, which is really four shots, one each of Jack Daniel's, Jameson, Jim Beam and Johnnie Walker Black. And if you're wondering why this drink would be popular with the military...go ahead and google Twentynine Palms. It'll help you understand.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

One day and a maybe a _slight_ hangover later, Judy found herself in her usual spot next to Nick in the bullpen. Most of the officers had given a little cheer when the two had shown up that morning, clearly happy to see their two smallest officers back in good health, but after that the meeting had gone on like normal. As the assignments were passed out, Judy was unsurprised when Chief Bogo assigned them to a double shift in Tundratown. The chief had texted her about it the day before; it was crucial that they follow the lead they had discovered, so Nick and her would be spending the next 24 hours patrolling the freezing district, looking for any sign of Tice.

Soon, her and Nick were rolling down those very same snowy streets, dutifully keeping a lookout for any sign of their target. Judy couldn't help but compare this to the last time they had patrolled the streets looking for Victor Blackmoore, but today she felt a little more hopeful. At least now they had solid reason to believe they were in the right district, and if they couldn't find him tonight they'd be back at it next shift.

Nick's phone buzzed and he pulled it out to check it.

"Skye says her and Jack are in the district too. They're in an unmarked car, but they'll be ready to respond to anything and they'll be calling us first on any leads."

Judy nodded at that. It was good to know they had reliable back up nearby. Not that they couldn't count on their fellow officers, but she knew the ZIA's training went above theirs, and the agents may even carry some more firepower. She didn't really love the idea of _any_ mammals running around Zootopia armed with guns, but she supposed after her last encounter it would be good to have at least a few on her side.

As the hours rolled on, Judy was determined not to get frustrated, but their search seemed pretty fruitless. They were sticking near bus stops, parks, anywhere public that Tice might be, but Judy was starting to think that was a little counterproductive. If this mammal had as much training as they thought, even if he was out in public, she was sure he'd take precautions not to be recognized. They were going to have to change their strategy.

Judy knocked a few ideas around in her head as Nick eased the cruiser to a stop on a vacant street corner. She closed her eyes and leaned back against her seat. Outside, the air would be freezing, but inside, the late afternoon sun on her face warmed her fur and helped ease her mind a bit. Judy frowned as something blocked the light, and then she jumped as something thumped heavily against her window. She blinked as she looked out her window, shocked to see a blue tracksuit blocking her entire view and a white paw easily the size of her head knocking on the window. She craned her neck to look up and saw a stoic looking polar bear staring back at her from several feet above her cruiser.

"Holy shit! Carrots, lock the doors!" Nick shouted, scrambling to throw the gear back into drive.

"Nick! Stop being an ass! He's probably just looking for directions!" Judy snapped back, shooting him a glare. She rolled down her window and leaned out, putting on her most polite, professional tone.

"Evening, sir! Can I help you?"

The bear leaned down slowly and stared into the cruiser with dark, piercing eyes. First he looked at Judy and then he eyed Nick, his face showing no hint of emotion.

"Officer Hopps. Officer Wilde."

The bear spoke with a thick Sibearian accent, and his breath smelled like cigarettes. Now Judy's heart raced with fear. Maybe Nick had been right, they should've kept their distance from this strange, massive mammal. She frantically thought back to the list of mammals from Black Knight. _Was there a polar bear? There was! Or was it a grizzly? Or was it both? Oh god!_ She thought about the tranq gun on her hip, but she knew it likely wouldn't do any good. If he attacked, she'd be lucky to even get a shot off, and a mammal his size would likely stay conscious long enough to kill her anyways. As the moment dragged on, she considered throwing herself towards Nick, screaming for him to drive, anything to get herself away. Then, the bear spoke again.

"Mr. Big would like a word. Giovanni's Tailor Shop, Seven-thirty. Use the back door."

Without hesitating another moment, The bear stood back up to his full height and lumbered off down the sidewalk. Judy sat frozen for a moment before hurrying to roll up her window. When it finally reached the top, she sat panting for a moment before turning towards her partner.

"Nick-"

"I know Carrots, holy hell."

"How did that bear even find us?"

Nick shrugged, looking bewildered.

"I mean, this _is_ 's neighborhood, through and through. He probably knows everything going on around here."

Judy shook her head at that, trying to calm herself down. She wasn't usually one to get shook up, but that bear had freaked her out something bad.

"So...are we going to go?" Nick asked.

Judy's heart raced all over again at the idea. Not only was Mr. Big sure to have plenty of ridiculously large henchmen around, he was also one of the most powerful crime bosses in the city. He also happened to be the grandfather of Judy's godchild, but that didn't make her feel much better. The details of their relationship had yet to make it back to the Police force, and Judy hoped to keep it that way and getting caught meeting with the shrew, in private, while on duty would certainly raise some eyebrows. Judy was about to tell Nick no, when something he said rang clear in her mind.

"Wait...Big knows everything in Tundratown?" Nick shrugged again.

"I mean, pretty much. He owns half the legal businesses, all the illegal ones, has eyes everywhere, and probably knows every mammal..." Sudden realization dawned on Nick's face. "...and maybe he knows something about Tice!"

Judy nodded determinedly, giving Nick a serious look. It was decided. They had to go to this meeting.

* * *

As Judy padded through the quiet shop, her nerves were completely on edge. Her and Nick had parked their cruiser a few blocks away and had wandered down the alley only when they were sure no one was watching, but this place still made Judy thoroughly uncomfortable. The place was mostly deserted, save for a few towering polar bears and a couple smaller mammal workers who scurried around the dusty backroom making an obvious effort to keep their eyes locked on the floor. This was not a place where an honest cop should be.

The polar bear guiding the two officers opened a door out of the back storeroom, leading into a hallway lined with ornate, old fashioned doors, lit by fancy looking lights mounted on the walls. Overall, the place gave an air of wealth and class. The huge bear opened the first door on the right and stuck his head in, speaking quietly. Despite the raspiness of his voice, Judy could hear the reply clear as day.

"Ah, thank you Dimitri, send them in. Giovani, _un momento, per favore."_

After a second, a ferret with a tiny measuring tape wrapped around his finger exited the room, heading back into the storeroom. The polar bear gestured into the room silently, and Nick and Judy stepped inside slowly. Inside, they saw the tiny mob boss waiting for them. He stood on top of a stool in the middle of a fitting room, wearing slacks and a white dress shirt. On top of the stool with him was an appropriate sized chair, mirror, and coat rack, with an apparently half-tailored suit coat hanging on it. As the two entered, he spread his tiny paws wide in a greeting gesture.

"Judith, Nicky, so good to see you. I apologize for meeting you so underdressed, but I felt it couldn't wait."

Judy stepped forward and allowed the tiny mob boss to give her a kiss on each cheek.

"Long time no see, Salvatore. How's little Judy?"

She took a chance using his first name. He could take it as disrespect, and it grated on her anyways to be so chummy with such a criminal, but she might need him in a good mood to get her information. Apparently her gamble paid off, as he returned her smile.

"She's wonderful, she just started ballet, you'll have to see her sometime."

Judy replied with a drawn out 'Awwww' that was more real then forced, when Nick stepped forward to speak.

"So your mammal told us you wanted to see us...what was all that about?"

Big's face suddenly dropped back into his usual dark, brooding mask at Nick's question. He settled into the chair with a sigh before launching into his explanation.

"Now, before I start, I want you two to know this is a personal call, not a business call. I understand that in your line of work, this kind of thing can come with a price, so I'll say it now, I give this information to the godmother of my first grandchild and my friend as a personal favor, nothing in return." Judy and Nick both gave a solemn nod, appreciating the sentiment. Big continued, looking serious.

"Today, one of my associates overheard a mammal in a bar looking for some information. He knew I had an interest in the subject matter, so he reported it to me. I did in fact find it interesting, and thought you might too, so I brought you here to discuss it."

He paused, and the silence hung in the air. Judy held her breath, waiting for him to continue. It was obvious to her he was speaking about Black Knight, but how did he even know anything about them, let alone that her and Nick were investigating them? She focused again as the shrew continued.

"The questions that he was asking all pertained to the addresses, patrol routes, and any known information about Judy Hopps and Nicholas Wilde."

Judy's heart froze in her chest as her excitement instantly died, replaced by an icy cold fear. Mammals were looking for her? They wanted to know her patrol routes, her _address?_ What the hell?

"Sir," Nick growled, anger creeping Into his voice, "This mammal was...what, hunting us? Who was it?"

Big held up a paw in a placating gesture.

"He was a local nobody, not affiliated with any crew. My associate...persuaded him to come to my home, where I asked him why he was looking for this information, but he only told me rumors, whispers in dark alleys, that certain mammals in certain circles were interested in the information." He gave Judy and Nick what she assumed was supposed to be comforting look.

"Judith, Nicky, I don't believe this is anything to be overly concerned with. If it was, I already would have dealt with it." At that, his face changed into a fierce little snarl, and Judy saw the vicious mammal beneath the mask of proper manners. Just as quickly, he slipped back into his polite mannerisms. "But, as it is, this information worries me. In your line of work, it is dangerous to have your name in the mind of a mammal like the one I spoke to today, and I couldn't sleep tonight without telling you."

"Thank you, Mr. Big." Judy replied. She was still trying to maintain her polite facade, but a decent part of her was actually heartfelt with the thank you. For all that he was, the tiny shrew actually did care about those he considered friends, and Judy appreciated his concern at the least. But now was the time to get what she really came for.

"But...Sir, I have a question for you, if you don't mind."

"Of course, my child."

"Well, me and Nick have been tasked with finding a mammal, a coyote named Tice. We have reason to believe that he's in Tundratown, and we were wondering if you'd ever heard of him?"

Mr. Big's eyebrows raised in surprise and he sat forward a little in his chair, tapping at the armrest as if deciding how to reply. Finally he fixed Judy with a pointed gaze before speaking.

"Well, at least now I can speak on a matter I actually know about. Yes, I have heard that there is a coyote named Tice living in my territory. However, I only know this because I have heard that someone has put a twenty-thousand dollar price on his head."

* * *

The lights on the bus were off, and the Tundratown streetlights filtering in were just barely bright enough to find a seat. A lot of drivers liked to do that this late at night, just to help the night shift mammals catch a few more minutes of sleep on the ride to work. Tice wasn't sleeping though. He was just glad that the dark helped to hide his face.

The bus slowed as the driver pulled out of the road towards a stop. As he opened the doors, the overhead lights snapped on and Tice blinked in the sudden brightness, pulling his hood down lower over his face. He kept his head down as he heard some mammals get on, change jingling as they paid their fare. He listened closely as he heard them come down the aisle, talking drunkenly, before taking a seat close to the front, far enough from him to feel comfortable.

He slouched a little lower down into his seat and checked his watch, seeing it was just past eleven. That was perfect. All he had to do was get off at the next stop, grab his stuff from home, get to the Greyhound station and catch the red eye out of this city. He took a deep breath, and wished not for the first time that he had time for a shower. He hadn't risked going home yet, and now he was gonna have to rush to get his ticket out of here so it was just going to have to wait.

Suddenly, his hackles stood on end. His skin crawled as he was suddenly sure he was being watched. The only passengers on the bus were the two drunks and an old raccoon who had been passed out in the front seat since he'd gotten on. But he could still feel it, he was sure someone was staring at him. Then he noticed the bus was silent now, the drunken chatter from the two mammals had stopped. [ _No, god damn it. Please just be passed out.]_ He thought to himself. As quick as he could, he snapped his head up and had his fears confirmed as he locked eyes with a drunken possum near the front of the bus. He looked away quickly, but before he could he saw the possum's eyes snap open in recognition before he turned back and began hurriedly whispering to his companion, a nasty looking bobcat.

 _[Shit! I was so god damn close!]_ Tice thought as the bus began to slow near his stop. He had been hiding out, living outside and avoiding mammals for days, just to get spotted on a bus just a few blocks from home.

As the door opened and the lights came on, Tice hurried down the aisle practically holding his breath as he waited for one of the drunks say something to him. He felt their eyes follow him as he passed their seats, but they stayed silent. But before he could dart out the bus door, the old raccoon seemed to finally wake up from his nap, stumbling into the aisle ahead of him. Tice hummed with frustration as the raccoon slowly made his way out the door. Just as Tice thought he was clear, a paw tapped him on the back.

"Hey bro, don't I know you from somewhere?"

Tice didn't even turn around, he just hurried out the door into the snow, quickly turning and heading away. He was hoping they wouldn't, but he wasn't surprised when he heard the mammals get off and start crunching through the snow behind him. The same voice called out again.

"Hey, I was talking to you! Come on, I swear I know you dude, what's your name?"

Tice picked up the pace, keeping his head down. He knew he could outrun these two, and was starting to consider just taking off at a dead sprint when he heard the footsteps behind him suddenly pick up the pace.

 _[Too late,]_ he had time to think.

"I said, what's your fucking name!" The voice roared right behind him. Tice ducked and the bobcat's haymaker punch sailed over his head. The mammal stumbled, and as he turned to face him Tice threw a hook, smashing the cat in the jaw. He staggered but didn't drop, and after a moment he regained his footing, raising his paws in a sloppy boxing stance.

Tice ran through his options. The cat was apparently tough, but he was also drunk, which meant he would be slow and sloppy. Tice had just decided to end the fight with a swift kick to the knee when the possum decided to enter the fray. The smaller mammal dove at the back his knee, buckling his leg with his tackle. Tice dropped to one knee, grunting in surprise. In the split second that Tice was distracted, the bobcat took his shot. There was no chance for Tice to get his guard up in time, and the full force of the punch smashed him in the nose. Instantly he felt the heat of blood flooding through his nostrils and his vision blurred with tears. This was not how Tice was planning for this fight to go. He knew he was going to have to fight for real now.

Through his tears, He saw the cat's powerful leg cocking back for a kick. Ignoring the possum still clinging to his leg, he dodged again, this time laying himself flat out on the pavement. As the kick sailed over his head, he reached out and grabbed the cat's opposite ankle and yanked. With him so off balance, it was easy for Tice to pull his leg right out from under him and the bobcat crashed heavily to the snowy pavement.

Tice didn't give him even a moment's rest. Scrabbling over the pavement on all fours, still dragging the possum, he moved until he was over the cat and sat up on his knees. He hesitated just long enough to slam a savage elbow into the possum's head. When he was sure the mammal was out, he turned back to the cat.

The feline groaned in pain, and he squinted his eyes shut, one paw on the back of his head. Obviously he hadn't managed to break his fall on the way down, and Tice wasn't planning on giving him any time to recover. He cocked his arm all the way back and drove his fist into the side of his head. And then he did it again, and again. After the first few hits, his opponent at least attempted to block his punches but Tice just yanked his arm away and dropped more punishing blows.

Tice hated this. He knew guys in the military, Hell, even guys in the civilian world who loved this, but to him, fighting was something you did when it was necessary. He never took any pleasure in dealing out pain. But, Tice did need him to stay down long enough for him to long gone by the time he woke up, so he kept swinging.

Finally, he stopped. He kept one paw cocked back, eyeing the bobcat to see if he was still going to put up a fight, but the cat just snored pitifully through his broken nose. Tice slowly pushed himself up to his feet, and rolled the mammal over onto his side. He bent over and checked on the possum too. He was groaning and his eyelids fluttered at Tice's touch, but he wouldn't be going anywhere either. Then, Tice suddenly remembered the third passenger.

He looked up to see the old raccoon peeking around the corner of the bus shelter. An old flip phone was clutched in his shaking paw, and when he locked eyes with Tice, he flinched with fear. Shame flooded Tice at that. He would never hurt this poor old mammal, but how was [ _he]_ supposed to know that? He just watched him beat two strangers to a pulp at a bus stop, and now he was standing here, paws and muzzle drenched in blood. Tice grabbed some snow from the ground and rubbed it between his paws and at his face, futilely trying to scrub some off. Finally he settled for scooping up a fistful and holding it to his sore nose.

He hesitated for just a second longer, and looked back at the raccoon. He was still rooted in place, staring at him warily. Tice almost said something, an apology, an explanation, anything. Then, he swallowed the words and turned away. Nothing he could say now was going to change anything. All that mattered now was getting out of this damn city alive.

* * *

Judy pounded on the dash in frustration. It had been hours since They met with Mr. Big and they still hadn't found anything. She pulled on one of her ears as she stared out into the snowy streets, but even that was basically useless. It was already dark and almost every mammal out here was bundled up to some degree. She had already blinded a wolf and a hyena with her spotlight when she saw a canine-shaped mammal and got too excited. She turned to Nick, unable to hide her anxiousness.

"So you brought the agents up to speed right?" He nodded before speaking back.

"Yeah, they're working on the same information as us. Not that its really worth a damn anyways."

Judy knew he was right. had practically given them no information, he just knew that mammals were looking for a coyote named Tice who fit McCoy's description. No one knew who was giving out the bounty, but twenty-thousand dollars was enough to stir up all the lowlifes of the city. Somehow, the rumor had gone around that Tice was living in Tundratown, and like Nick said, the shrew knew everything that happened in his district. The only bright spot Judy could see was that Mr. Big had already ordered his goons to be on the lookout for him, but to not harm him. Still, he didn't control every desperate, violent mammal in the district. The clock was now definitely ticking, and Judy was feeling the pressure.

Nick clearly had something different on his mind.

"I still can't get over it...why would they want our patrol routes?"

Judy worked hard to keep from rolling her eyes at him.

"Nick we already talked about this, if we were being targeted then Big would have known. It's probably because someone figured out we were involved in this case and they're to keep track of us, to make sure we don't get too close, something like that. Either way, we can't get into it now, we have to find Tice."

Nick didn't respond in any way, he just kept his grip tight on the wheel and his eyes staring out the windshield, looking nervous. Judy was about to keep scanning the streets when the cruiser's radio crackled to life.

"Any unit, this is officer Rajeshin, we have a 20-10 on Glacier Avenue, requesting additional units, how copy?"

Judy groaned in frustration at the handset. Glacier avenue was barely a five minute drive from where they were. As the closest unit they were obligated to respond, but a 20-10 was code for assault and battery, multiple victims. It was probably some drunken morons brawling and now her and Nick were going to have waste time dealing with that. She tried to keep the edge out of her voice as she keyed up her handset and responded.

"Roger, this is Officer Hopps responding now, ETA five mikes." She dropped the radio back into it's cradle and turned to talk to Nick.

"Okay, So we're gonna deal with this as quick as we can and then it's right back to looking for Tice. I still think we should consider pulling over buses." Nick rolled his eyes.

"Carrots, you hopping into a bus, waving your tranq gun everywhere and yelling about coyotes is not going to help our chances."

"There's more mammals on buses! Statistically it helps our odds!"

The pair continued to argue over search methods until they pulled up behind another ZPD cruiser with its lights flashing next to a bus stop. As they hopped out they saw that this might be more than just a drunk brawl. There were two mammals swaying back and forth as they sat on the bench in the bus shelter. The possum had a nasty looking lump over his right eye, but the bobcat definitely got the worst of it. His face was covered in cuts and swollen bruises. Blood still flowed freely from a broken nose and a split lip, and one eye was practically swollen shut. Wolfard was kneeling in front of the bobcat, shining a flashlight in his face and attempting to staunch at least some of the bleeding. He looked up as Nick and Judy approached and clicked off his light, standing up.

"Oh good, you two are here. Listen, this is a real nasty scene. Apparently some mammal beat the snot out of these two and then ran off. I've got the rookie coordinating with paramedics on the radio, but I've got an eye witness. Any chance you could get a statement while I watch these two?"

"Sure thing." Judy replied before walking down the sidewalk and approaching a nervous old raccoon. "Good evening sir. I heard you saw what happened here, Mister...?"

"Jackson. And yeah, I saw it all." The raccoon stood shuffling from foot to foot, his left paw nervously clutching a cigarette as his right tapped at his leg. There was a certain... _look_ in his eye that Judy recognized from calls to the local psych ward and homeless shelters. _Great,_ Judy thought, _our eyewitness is a nut job._

"I'd like for you to tell us anything you remember about what happened." Judy pulled out her notebook and her little carrot pen, ready to take his statement.

"Well, I guess it started on the bus. Those two over there, they got on, drunk as all hell, being idiots. They woke me up from my nap. Tried to ignore them but then they started saying some crazy stuff about this wolf in the back, talking about bounties and shit. Then when we all got off, they just jumped him, so I called the cops while they were going at it."

Judy's pen had frozen in her grip. Did she just hear that right?

"I'm sorry sir, but did you just say a bounty? And are you sure that the wolf wasn't really a coyote?" Nick had apparently been thinking the same thing, as he leaned towards the raccoon, giving him an intense gaze.

"Well shit, if that was a coyote, it wasn't like no damn coyote I've ever seen. Sum'bitch was huge! Took on those mammals like nothing, beat that bobcat's sorry ass half to death and just ran off that way!"

"Thank you sir, I think that's all we need."

Judy snapped her notebook shut and spun towards Nick, speaking in a hushed whisper.

"Nick! This is it, this has to be Tice!"

"I know!" He turned back towards the bus shelter "Come on, we gotta tell Wolfard we're going after him!"

The two approached their senior officer, who looked at them confused.

"Well shit, that was quick. Got everything?"

"Yep, all right here!" Judy ripped the page from her notebook and stuffed it in the wolf's paw. "Look, Wolfard, he said that the suspect took off, so me and Nick are going after him now, we'll radio to you with any updates!" She turned to dash away but the wolf caught her by the shoulder.

"Woah, easy there Hopps!" He spun her around and gave her a quizzical look. "This is me and Rajeshin's call, if anything we should go chase the perp. Why are you running off to do it?"

Judy bit her lip as she tried to find a good answer. He was right, normally backup would handle the scene while the first responders would attempt to apprehend the suspect, but her and Nick had to be the ones to get to Tice.

"Um..." She stuttered, "I guess I'm just really eager tonight?"

Wolfard's eyes only narrowed more at that. Now he looked truly suspicious.

"Okay, bullshit Hopps. You're always eager but you follow procedure. I'm pulling rank here, you two better tell me what this is really about."

Now Judy was truly worried. Outside of ceremonies and the most serious business, the wolf refused to let the other officers call him by rank, but he _was_ a sergeant on the police force. He still worked a beat by choice, just because he felt it was where he belonged. And to top it off, he had been on the force for almost as long as Judy had been alive. If the wolf wanted to pull rank, there wasn't a single thing she could do. She floundered for a response, before looking up to Nick for help. He grimaced before stepping forward and addressing his superior.

"Look, Wolfard...me and Hopps have been working a case for the Chief. We really can't get into details, even though I _really_ wish we could, but believe me, this is something we need to do and the chief would vouch for that."

Wolfard stared intensely at Nick, seeming to pin him in place with his gaze. Judy shifted nervously as she looked on. Even for all their joking around with him, when Wolfard got like this it was hard not to be uncomfortable. He had a cold, hard stare, practiced over a span of 20 years at the ZPD. Judy was used to seeing him turn it on when talking to suspects, but now he was beaming it straight at her partner. She was about to step in to try to save him when suddenly the wolf huffed and his gaze softened just a little before he shook his head.

"I don't know what it is with you two, but you always manage to get yourself into the dumbest shit. Go get your damn perp. But call us if you need back up!" He finished, wagging a finger at the smaller officer.

"Thank you so much!" Judy squealed before darting back to where the fight happened. Nick joined her a moment later, bending over to investigate the bloody, stirred up snow. After a moment he pointed just a few feet away from the main area.

"Look! See that blood drop? And there's another one!" He leaned in closer and carefully traced an outline with his finger. "This looks like a canine paw print, and it's heading the direction that raccoon said. Come on, he went this way!"

Nick stood up and took off at a jog. Judy didn't even question him, she just fell in step behind him. She sometimes forgot that Nick was equally as good at his job as she was, but she always knew not to doubt him.

The two hurried through the snow, and as they jogged Nick whipped out his cellphone. He dialed on the fly and Judy heard him filling in one of the agents on their new info. As he shoved the phone back in his pocket he let Judy know they were only a few minutes away and they would be looking for them.

The trail continued for a few blocks before taking a left for another block and then a right for another few, but soon Judy and Nick spied the last few drops of blood trail their way up the steps of a particularly awful looking apartment building. To Judy, it really resembled a prison block more than an apartment. The grey concrete face rose up for six stories with dirty square windows dotting the side. The front doors were a pitifully cracked set of double glass doors. As she took in the depressing sight, she barely noticed the black SUV pull up across the street.

Skye and Jack hurried across the street and walked up to the two officers.

"Any sign of him?" Jack asked quickly.

"No, but he has to be here, we followed his trail from the scene of the attack and there's no sign he left." Judy explained as quick as she could and Jack just nodded in acknowledgment.

"Follow us. Tranq guns out, stay close but stay behind." Skye's light, friendly air was gone now. She was all business as she padded up the stairs. As she pushed the door open and let Jack in under her arm, she saw that her assumption about the ZIA's standard issue weaponry had been correct. As the two entered the building they both drew handguns from concealed holsters, and she was sure she could see the tell-tale bulge of thick bulletproof vests underneath their heavy coats. Suddenly she felt very vulnerable, wearing her stab-proof breastplate and holding her tranq gun.

As they stepped inside, Judy noted that the place really didn't get better on the interior. The lobby was bare concrete with a wall of tiny mail boxes along the right wall. The left wall was bare, besides a door that was marked with a sign that said 'Maintenance Stairway' and a latch secured with a heavy padlock. Along the back wall was a set of concrete stairs that curled to the floor above. After a moment of squinting through the shadows, Judy clicked on her flashlight. Whatever kind of lights were installed here, they clearly didn't work.

As she clicked her light on, the others followed suit. Jack and Skye both swept through the room with careful precision, Skye stopping to rattle the lock on the maintenance stairway. Jack crouched by the stairs, shining his light on the second step. After a moment he stood.

"I found the blood trail. Alright, here's the deal. He's definitely in here. Me and Skye are going to see if we can track him to his apartment, but if he slips past us somehow, this is the only exit. That means you two," he gestured towards Nick and Judy, "Need to be ready. Tranqs out, safety off. You see anything, shoot first and ask questions later. Good with that?"

Nick and Judy both nodded, Judy gripping her tranq a little tighter now. Jack nodded back at them before jerking his head at Skye. He took off up the stairs and she followed just half a step behind him, holding her gun out ahead of her above Jack's head. Judy watched the two until they turned the first corner and she lost sight as they proceeded up into the higher floors.

Silence settled in as Judy strained to hear any noises. Skye and Jack's footsteps had faded almost immediately and now she swallowed nervously, expecting at any moment to hear gunshots or a cry for help. She kept her flashlight beam and her tranq gun trained on the steps as Nick slowly walked around the room. He shined his light into the dark corners and along the walls, finding a strip of fluorescent lights that had apparently all been smashed or burned out long ago. He sniffed at the air, and Judy could see his eyes scanning the scene. He was clearly as nervous as she was. Then, one of her ears twitched as she heard a faint, rhythmic noise.

"Nick, listen! Do you hear that?" She hissed. He froze in place, head cocked for a moment.

"Yeah...it sounds like footsteps. But...not from the stairs..." he paced around the room slowly, trying to gauge where the sound was coming from. Finally he closed in on the locked maintenance stairwell. Now the sound was louder, it was obviously running footsteps. Judy's grip on her tranq tightened as Nick slightly raised his own, his tail begin to puff up in agitation. He looked over at her and whispered from the corner of his mouth.

"Carrots! It's coming from over-" But before he could finish, the door blew out from it's hinges, the latch broken and falling to the floor. As the door flew open it knocked Nick backwards and sent his light flying. It cast crazy shadows and beams as it bounced away, and Judy briefly caught sight of a large dark shape charging at Nick. She gave out a cry of alarm but before she could even bring her tranq around the mammal was on him. The larger mammal easily bullrushed Nick, driving him across the room. Judy heard three bursts of compressed air but then nothing but clicks. Nick was obviously out of tranqs, and the mammal wasn't going down. Finally the two slammed into the far wall, and the mammal roared into his face.

"Who are you? Who the fuck sent you?"

Finally Judy managed to get her light on the pair, and her stomach instantly flipped. Right in front of her, Tice McCoy had her partner pinned against the wall and was jamming a handgun into his ribs.

"ZPD! Drop your weapon!" She screamed, trying to sound more fierce than she felt. When he heard her, the coyote spun, dragging Nick in front of him and backing towards a corner. His face was locked in a snarl as he blinked into Judy's light, but then his face twisted as his mind processed the situation.

"Wait...Officer Hopps?" He said slowly. Then he looked down at the mammal who he had wrapped in a headlock. "Holy shit, Officer Wilde!" He instantly let go and jumped back as Nick stumbled forward, coughing and rubbing his neck. Tice backed himself up against the opposite wall and Judy kept him squarely in her sights, her paw trembling. She noticed he wasn't actively aiming his weapon now, but it was still held ready in front of him.

"Tice, drop your weapon, now!" She commanded. He looked at her for a second before shaking his head, his eyes wide and wary.

"No, I can't yet! I saw a black SUV parked out front, someone's been hunting me. I don't know why you're here, but they're still here too, you both need to get out of here!"

"Tice, that's the ZIA! They're here with us!" Tice looked shocked and now his eyes started to dart around, as if agents were about to start pouring out of the walls. Nick had recovered somewhat and was now circling back to stand next to Judy. He spoke to Tice in a raspy voice.

"Tice it's true. We know everything, we know you're really Tice McCoy, we know about Black Knight, and we know you're in danger. There's no running from this."

Tice looked positively panicked now. His eyes were wide as could be and his handgun was held in an iron grip. Right then, Judy was absolutely terrified. She knew everyone had said good things about Tice, but now her and Nick had him cornered and he was the one with a real gun. She had to do something before Tice made some kind of drastic decision.

"Tice, we're here to help." As she spoke, she remembered what she had said to Lieutenant Granger. "We are Tice, I swear. The ZIA isn't here to arrest you for murder. We need you, we're going after the rest of Black Knight. We can work something out, but if those agents come downstairs and see you holding us at gun point it could ruin everything. Please, just put the gun down and come with us."

She watched as her words registered with him. He seemed to be struggling with shock, disbelief and fear all at once. But slowly, his expression eased and his gun lowered.

"Okay."

He spoke the word barely above a whisper, his voice full of resignation. Judy saw him click a button on his handgun and the magazine fell out onto the floor as he racked the slide and the chambered round spun out. He dropped the gun and kicked it over towards a large black bag he had dropped by the maintenance stairway door.

Judy approached slowly, staying a few feet away with her tranq still on him. Nick cautiously walked past her, pulling his cuffs off of his belt.

"We still have to cuff you pal. Just standard procedure, okay?" Nick said gently. Tice just nodded stiffly and held out his paws as the cuffs clicked shut around his wrists. Nick backed away and pulled out his phone, dialing a contact.

"Skye? Yeah, we have McCoy in the lobby. He busted through that locked door...He came willingly, we've got him cuffed...okay. Got it."

A minute later, the agents came bounding down the stairs, handguns still in paw. They both eyed the bag and the discarded handgun critically then each took an opposite side of the coyote, holding their weapons low.

"Tice McCoy?" Jack asked gruffly. Tice just nodded again. Jack approached him and checked the cuffs on his wrist, speaking up to him as he did. " , you're going to need to come with us. This isn't an arrest, but you are wanted for questioning. Do you understand?"

"Yes...are you really going after Black Knight?" He gave the hare an anxious look. Jack shot a sidelong glance at Judy and Nick before replying sternly.

"We'll talk more at the office. For now, let's get out of here. Skye, grab that bag."

Once everything was collected, they got ready to file out of the building. Judy and Nick were in the lead with Tice in between and the agents bringing up the rear, still nervously holding their handguns. Judy pushed open the door and stepped out onto the snowy stoop. She was about to head down the steps when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. A van had started to come down the street from a parking spot down the block. She didn't remember seeing it parked there before. Something didn't seem right to her, and she hesitated with one foot still in the door. She was ready to turn back and say something to Nick when suddenly the vans screeched to a stop right in front of them, and the side doors flew open.

"Get down!" Nick roared behind her. Her legs flexed to dive for cover, but before she could even react she felt strong paws grab her in the armpits and she was launched backwards. The world tumbled around her and she saw a flash of Nick's red fur before she was flat on her back in the lobby. She tried to get up, but someone landed on top of her, and then suddenly, the world exploded.

She was pretty sure she screamed as an avalanche of sound crashed around her. She grabbed her ears and pulled them down against her head, closing her eyes in pain. Even with her ears down, it still sounded like terrible thunder, or a thousand of the world's biggest firecrackers. She opened her eyes to try to find the source, but found her view obstructed. She was confused for a moment, but then she looked over her head and saw the underside of Nick's muzzle. With a jolt, she realized he had thrown her down and was shielding her. But from what?

Then she saw the shattered glass flying past his head and saw concrete crumbling on the far wall and it hit her. They were being shot at! Keeping her ears flat, she scrambled around underneath Nick, craning her neck to see around him. Relief flooded through her as she saw Tice and Skye taking cover behind the left side of the concrete door frame, with Jack on the right.

What was surely only seconds felt like hours to Judy. The continuous roar seemed like it would never end, but then Judy heard one even louder, longer crash and everything went silent, besides a piercing ringing that wouldn't stop. No one moved for a moment, everyone staying frozen in place. Slowly, Judy realized she could hear something else besides the ringing. She could just barely make out the rise and fall of a ZPD siren. That sent a shot through her and she began trying to push Nick off of her. He tried to keep her down but she scrambled out from under him and stumbled to the door, taking in the awful scene.

The van was now five feet back from where it had been and the entire front had been decimated by a ZPD cruiser. The cruiser was likewise destroyed, but the red and blue lights still spun on top as the siren screamed. The two vehicles were locked together from the force of the impact, and Judy could see the driver of the van starting to stir behind the wheel. She was rooted to the spot, staring at the wreckage. She was so frozen, she almost didn't react when another crack rang out, accompanied by a flash of light inside the van. She stumbled backwards and threw herself behind the doorframe again, but still watched as a mammal came stumbling out of the open side of the van. The badger slipped on the snow, falling to a knee before jumping up and starting to run away. That motivated Judy. Their suspect was getting away! She began to step around the corner when a paw grabbed her from behind.

"Stop! Let us handle this Hopps!" Jack held her wrist tight, his handgun out. Skye stood behind him looking fierce. Judy was about to argue, but as it turned out, neither of them would get the chance to go after him.

"ZPD! Stop where you are!" Judy looked over her shoulder to see the young leopard sprinting around the back of the cruiser. Raj looked a little banged up, but he tore down the sidewalk, stopping just in front of the open van door. He pulled his tranq gun, took a textbook stance and squeezed off two darts down the sidewalk. He lowered his weapon as a triumphant smile spread across his face. He turned towards Judy but as their eyes met, another crack rang out. Judy saw the flash inside the van behind Raj, and then the officer fell forward onto the sidewalk. Judy gasped, and then flinched in pain as Skye's handgun barked just over head. She fired three shots into the van, and after a moment, a puma tumbled of of the van, his gun skittering out of his limp paw.

Judy couldn't move. Her eyes were seeing what was happening, but her brain just couldn't process it. But as Nick pushed past Skye and Jack, it hit her. She stumbled after him, ignoring the agents yelling behind her. She chased after Nick until he slid to his knees next to the leopard. She didn't get as close, she just slumped to her knees at the bottom of the stairs. She could hear Nick saying Raj's name, over and over again but he wasn't saying anything back. Then a blue blur came from the cruiser and shoved Nick out of the way. Now it was Wolfard yelling his partner's name. Nick sprawled in the snow next to Judy where he landed, mouth hanging open in shock. The pair watched as Wolfard scrambled frantically over Raj, checking his pulse, trying to put pressure on the dark hole in the back of his uniform, but it was useless. He was gone before Nick had even gotten to him.

Judy didn't even fight it when someone physically picked her up and turned her around. She blinked dumbly up at Skye, seeing her lips move but not hearing anything. Then the world snapped back into focus as she felt a stinging pain across her cheek. She gasped with shock and then pulled back as the vixen reared back to slap her again.

"Judy! Honey, I'm so sorry for that but you have to listen!" She shouted, grabbing Judy by the shoulders and staring into her eyes. "Judy, the whole ZPD is going to be here any minute. We have to get McCoy and the tranquilized suspect out of here! We're leaving now, it's up to you to handle this scene, just find Bogo when he gets here!" She let go of Judy's shoulders and took a step away. "Good luck." She said, before running down the sidewalk to collect the unconscious badger.

She knew the fox was right. This was her and Nick's situation to handle. She turned back around and felt the tears well behind her eyes. Nick was on his knees with Wolfard. They were both kneeling by Raj's side, and neither seemed to notice when the snow around their knees began to turn red. Wolfard's eyes were dry, but he stared at his partner with such a deep sadness that it broke her heart. She walked around behind the two canines and did her best to wrap her arms around both their necks. The four of them waited silently in the snow as the chorus of sirens in the distance grew louder.

* * *

Judy leaned back against the tire of the cruiser. It seemed as though Skye had been right; it looked like the entire ZPD had responded to the call. Wolfard had sent out the 'Officer Down' call from his cruiser and within minutes, every unit in Tundratown and half the ones from other districts were blocking the street, keeping the crowd back, directing ambulances or just standing around. In all the confusion she had slipped off behind a cruiser and just flopped down. She just felt so drained. She dropped her head into her paws and stayed very still, just wishing this all wasn't real.

She didn't bother looking up when she could hear someone walking towards her. She could tell his scent anywhere, musk and something else, like pine. She could never explain it, but always recognize it. Nick eased himself down to sit next to her, letting his head rest against the tire.

"So...I found Bogo. Told him everything that happened, he said he'd handle all this. Came up with a good explanation, something about gang violence and an investigation into a rise in gun violence..." He trailed off when Judy showed no sign of responding.

"Hey," he started up again softly, "Chief said we can just go home. There's nothing else we can do, let's just get out of here."

Judy sat silently for a moment, but slowly she sat up and stared out through the mess of police cars.

"No, we can't leave yet. There's one more thing we have to do."

Nick followed her gaze and saw Wolfard. The wolf was leaning against a building about a block away from the crime scene. He was staring a hole in the pavement with a cigarette burning its way to the filter in his paw. Nick hadn't seen him move since he took that spot nearly an hour ago, and none of the other officers had dared to approach him since he nearly tore the head off a pig from Precinct Three who said 'Sorry about the rookie'.

"Fluff, I'm not so sure if that's the best idea right now." He said pleadingly. Judy just shrugged and looked up at Nick with sad eyes.

"I need to Nick...I just can't help but feel that this is our fault."

Nick swallowed dryly at that. He couldn't shake that feeling as well. Logically, he knew they were all just doing their jobs, but that didn't change the fact that a mammal got involved in their case, came to back them up and ended up dead for it.

"Yeah...maybe we should talk to him."

He stood and offered Judy his paw to help her up. She took it, but when she was on her feet Nick gave her a little squeeze before letting go. As she walked towards the brooding wolf, she kind of wished he hadn't let go at all. They both stopped a few feet away from the wolf and looked at him apprehensively.

"Officer Wolfard?" Judy said quietly. She was a little ashamed to hear a quiver in her voice, but he gave no sign he had even heard her so she tried again.

"Officer Wolfard." She said more firmly this time. Again, for a second the wolf didn't move at all, then slowly he reached back and ground out his cigarette butt on the wall behind himself. He turned back slowly to Judy, and fixed her with an empty gaze.

"You two here to apologize for dragging us into whatever shit-show you're involved in?" He said it so matter-of-factly that It threw Judy for a loop, and she paused long enough for him to continue on his own.

"Save your breath. You're cops, I'm a cop, Raj is...Raj was a cop. Cops die. Besides I don't want your apologies." Now he gave Judy a fierce look. "I want in."

"In...in on what?" She stuttered. She didn't even manage to convince herself, and it certainly didn't work on Wolfard.

"Oh fuck off with that Hopps. You two told me you were working some special shit for the chief. And then I have to come save your asses from some psychos with automatic weapons doing a drive-by. And those two mammals? The rabbit and the fox? I'm not an idiot. No uniforms, bulletproof vests, _real guns_. I know fucking feds when I see them. And then, one of them blasts one suspect, runs off with the other and drags _my_ assault and battery suspect off in cuffs with them. Oh, and in case anyone forgot, [ _my fucking partner just got killed!" ]_

Judy felt tears stinging her eyes as she stepped back from the irate wolf. He had come off the wall during his rant and was now leaning over her with a snarl on his face. Judy's heart hammered in her chest, but then of course, her fox saved her.

Nick reached out with one paw and put it firmly against Wolfard's chest. He didn't shove him, but Judy could tell he was gently reminding to back off him.

"Wolfard...easy. Back up, please. This ain't the place."

Judy was suddenly aware of the eyes on them. Most of the mammals on the street were busy, but some had been close enough to hear at least the last bit of Wolfard's speech over the commotion. No one was flat out staring, but she could see the glances mammals were sneaking. Wolfard looked Around, his snarl fading and then looked down at Judy. When he saw her it seemed like the wolf actually deflated. He backed down, and leaned back against the wall, hanging his head and resting his forearms against his thighs .

"Shit...I'm sorry Hopps. That was...uncalled for." Judy waited, she sensed he wasn't done. "You know, I was in the passenger seat. I should've been on the sidewalk before him. But of course, that quick little bastard beat me to it." He gave a short, humorless laugh. "This is my fault if it's anyone's."

Judy's heart broke to see her friend in so much pain. She forgot her fear immediately and stepped forward and grasped one of his paws.

"It's okay Wolfard, don't apologize. This isn't your fault at all. And also...You're right...about everything." She looked up at Nick. He thought for a moment and gave her a slight nod. She looked back and the wolf was staring at her intensely.

"I'm right?" He said, sounding confused. Judy gave him a tight lipped nod.

"Look, we can't tell you everything. This is all way bigger than us, but...if you really want in, go to talk to Chief Bogo. Tell him you know those were ZIA agents, say you overheard the name Tice McCoy, or even threaten to go to the media with a different story than whatever he comes up with. But just know, there's going to be more of that, I guarantee." She pointed towards the spot where the shootout had occurred, where Raj had lost his life. The old wolf sat there, bewildered for a moment before appearing to make up his mind.

"I want in. For Raj." He said it with an air of finality and determination that Judy respected. He pushed himself off the wall and strode away purposefully. Judy watched him go as Nick rested a paw on her shoulder.

"Do you think that was a smart choice?" She said.

Nick thought for a moment before answering.

"Dunno, but I think even if it wasn't, it might've been the only one. If we didn't let him in, I think the old salt-dog probably would've just hunted these assholes down on his own." Judy chuckled at that but Nick continued. "Besides, I think you're right. If we're going to see this through, tonight won't be the last time our lives are in danger. I think I'd like to have him watching my back."

Judy thought back to laying on that cold lobby floor as bullets and glass ripped by and vaporized concrete clouded the air. She suppressed a shudder and thought, not for the first time, _What the hell did I get myself into?_

 _ **Authors notes-**_

 _ **So chapter seven is out now. I'm guessing you can all understand now why chapter six was more of a light, fluffy chapter. I won't water down this down too much with boring ass author's notes so message me with any questions. Thank you, enjoy.**_


	8. Chapter 8

Precinct One had a somber air to it as Judy and Nick walked in for thier shift the next morning. There were the usual groups of cops chatting in the lobby, several already sporting black armbands or strips over thier badges, but there were no laughs or smiles, everything was quiet and subdued, including the usually bubbly cheetah behind the front desk.

"Hey Clawhauser." Nick greeted quietly as they passed the front desk. The two slowed when the cheetah raised a paw to them.

"Hey guys. Don't feel like you need to rush off to the bullpen, the Chief is still in a meeting in his office."

"This early? With who?" Judy asked.

"Wolfard. He came in first thing and walked right up there on his own. I'd wonder why but...considering last night..." Clawhauser looked down with a dejected air, which meant that he missed the meaningful look Judy and Nick gave each other. Just then an echoing slam was heard from the mezzanine above the lobby. Every head turned as the Chief stomped his way to the elevator, the only sound being his heavy, hoofed feet on the floor. After a moment, the elevator doors opened and the Chief stepped out with a haggard looking Wolfard following behind.

Bogo made a beline across the lobby straight at Nick and Judy. As he neared he bent down to their level and spoke quietly.

"Come on, you both know where we're going this morning. Oh, and _apparently,_ Sergeant Wolfard will be coming with us." At that, Wolfard nodded from behind to the chief. To anyone else it would've looked like a greeting, but Nick and Judy understood. The two silently fell in behind the Chief and followed to the parking garage.

The ride to ZIA headquarters seemed to quicker this time now that Bogo knew where he was going. Nick was glad for that, as he wasn't sure how much of this awkward car ride he could take. Bogo had been silent the whole way, but from the glances he had been throwing him and Judy, he was sure whatever Wolfard had said had made the Chief suspicious of exactly where he had gotten his information. It also didn't help that he was sure he could smell more than a hint of last night's booze coming off of Wolfard. Not that Nick could blame him, he had definitely had a drink or two to calm his nerves last night, but he was still sure this was not going to be a pleasant morning.

The lobby of the ZIA seemed just the same as the last time they had been there, the same receptionist greeted them brightly from behind the desk, but her demeanor dimmed a little bit as she saw that there was an extra officer with them this time. Before she could begin to argue, the elevator opened and Assistant Director Fettersworth stepped out looking serious. He walked up and shook Bogo's paw, obviously noticing the extra officer as well. He didn't comment on it, but gave a dark look before turning back to the elevator.

"We'd better get up to the Director's office." He said simply as he hit the button for the top floor.

There was no waiting outside this time as the Assistant Director opened the door to the office and ushered them in. Inside the office, Stagg stood with his paws on his desk, staring at the conference table. This time, the table was definitely not empty, and Judy recognized the black bag that Tice had dropped last night. Spread around the empty bag was a stunning array of military equipment. Judy saw a short, military style carbine, an M4 she thought they were called, along with a pistol and a pile of ammo boxes. There was also a set of sleek looking body armor, all matte black, complete with an odd looking helmet. Judy stared at the helmet for a second before realizing it actually had some kind of bullet proof faceplate attached. She remembered the video Stagg had showed them with the black clad, faceless mammals in the casino and a shiver ran through her.

After a moment, Stagg tore his eyes away from the table and looked at his visitors, his gaze instantly locking onto Wolfard. He leaned back from his desk and gestured to him with one hoofed paw.

"Who the fuck is this?" He said in an incredulous tone.

"This is Sergeant Anthony Wolfard. He's one of my best officers and was present last night. He figured out enough of the case on his own...somehow..." Bogo said, resisting the urge to look at his smaller officers, "And he insisted on coming. He knew too much for me to lock him out of the investigation so I filled him in fully. He's part of my team now."

"You're shitting me. I mean, you have _got_ to be shitting me." Stagg deadpanned. "Bogo, you don't have a team! You have two annoying beat cops who I'm stuck with! I'm not taking on a third!"

"Well I'm not leaving." Wolfard butted in before Bogo could reply. Stagg narrowed his eyes at the wolf before coming around the edge of his desk to stare down at him. If he was trying to intimidate Wolfard, it clearly didn't work as he stared right back at him.

"Wolfard huh? Yeah, I recognize your name from the report, you're the partner of that cop who got shot. So what is this then? Your partner gets killed and you think you can just come in, stinking like whiskey and play cowboy too, just ride off into the sunset looking for revenge? You saw what went down last night, what the hell makes you think you're prepared to handle shit like that?"

Wolfard stayed silent for a moment, before stepping forward and closing the distance bewteen him and Stagg. The director's nostrils flared briefly, but he stood his ground.

"Two combat tours in Dyria and one in Irack. How about you _cowboy?_ " Wolfard said quietly. The director stared down at him for a moment before breaking the eye contact and backing off.

"Whatever, I don't have the time or energy for this dick measuring contest." Wolfard snorted a quiet laugh, obviously feeling like the winner.

"So let's get to work then, shall we?" Bogo asked. This got a glare from Stagg, but he still slumped down behind his desk and booted up his computer, connecting it to the projector on the ceiling.

"All the bullshit aside, last night actually may have been a breakthrough for this case." He said, pulling up three photos of mammals. Two of them, a puma and a wolf, were obviously dead, but the third was a living, very distraught looking badger. Stagg produced a laser pen and indicated the wolf. "This guy, we didn't get anything from. Ran his prints, turns out he's a nobody, just some local dirtbag. But this guy," he switched to the puma, "Is where things get much more interesting. We ran him through the Mammalian Sovereign's database and got nothing, but when we tried the Interpol database, we found him."

Stagg clicked on the photo and brought up a photo of the puma when he was alive, along with a rap sheet filled out in Spanish.

"This guy is Martín Rojas. Pawnamian native and known enforcer for the Alvarro Family, the most powerful Cartel in Pawnama. He's wanted in Pawnama and internationally for drug trafficking, assault and multiple murders."

"Jesus...what the hell was he doing in Zootopia?" Nick asked.

"That's the million dollar question, Wilde," Stagg said, "Creed didn't know anything about who Rojas was, but the fact that he was there at least confirms that the group is still connected to Pawnama somehow. But, the idea they could be in bed with the cartels is...concerning, to say the least." Stagg clicked back and clicked again on the picture of the badger.

"This is where we really hit the jackpot though. This is David Creed. We ran him through the database and found some pretty mundane shit, breaking and entering, drunk and disorderly, nothing worth mentioning. But when we woke him up from the tranq darts he told us everything we needed to know."

"He turned on the organization? Our intel says anyone working for them fears them more than anything the law could do to them...what did you offer him?" Bogo asked in a accusatory tone. Judy knew what he was thinking. If this guy participated in the killing of one of his officers and now was going to walk, Bogo would be beyond furious.

"I offered him a deal. I told him he could either stay quiet and I'd give him a spot in the county jail and a _very_ public trial, so everyone knows he's alive and still capable of talking, or I could give him a private trial and put him in a prison far from Zootopia where no one could find him. The kid practically fell over himself to start talking. Don't worry, he'll still rot in prison," Stagg said, with a pointed look at Bogo and Wolfard, "but he'll do it under an assumed name and backstory. Officially, David Creed was killed in the crossfire along with all other suspects."

Bogo chewed on that for a moment before nodding his head in acceptance.

"Fair enough. What did he tell you?" He asked.

"Well apparently when the cruiser smashed their van, Rojas shot the driver in the back before he could recover. He went to shoot Creed too but luckily for us his gun jammed, then Skye took him out after Creed ran. That fits with thier usual style, clearly Rojas was told to eliminate the hired help if shit went south."

"That's all good, but how does that help us?" Judy asked.

"That bit doesn't really, but Creed also gave us something else. He gave us an address." Stagg said with a smug grin. Judy's eyes widened at that.

"An address for what, sir?" She asked, excited.

"A warehouse in the old Conway Shipping dock yard in Tundratown. Creed said he worked muscle for some of the dealers and they would go there to pick up more product. We already checked it out, officially the whole dockyard is abandoned, but traffic cams have shown at least a decent amount of activity in the area, both foot traffic and cars."

"That isn't much of a surprise," Bogo grumbled, "The ZPD is aware that the area is a hotbed for criminal activity, but there's only so much we can do with regular patrols."

"Exactly." Stagg shot back. "So if someone stayed low key enough in one of these warehouses, they could avoid the ZPD patrols. And, the specific warehouse they chose is in a blank spot of all the traffic cams and it's right on the water. A perfect spot for bringing in thier product, away from the watchful eye of the ZPD."

Judy's heart raced as she processed this new information. This was the break they needed, they could shut the whole operation down! She shared a look with Nick who was obviously thinking the same, but Bogo beat them to the punch.

"Director Stagg, we need to act on this intel fast. Whether Black Knight believes Creed is dead or not, they could get spooked and go to ground over their failure last night."

"Way ahead of you Chief. We've been up all night here at the ZIA, we've got a raid planned for tonight. Hopps and Wilde, you two are on deck for a role in it, and I guess the war hero over there will have to get in on it now too. We'll discuss the specifics later."

Judy and Nick nodded seriously while Wolfard gave a dry chuckle at that Director's comment. Suddenly a thought struck Judy, she couldn't believe it took her this long to think of it.

"Wait, Director Stagg, what about Tice? Is he okay?" Her question got a strange half-smile out of the deer but he answered seriously.

"Mr. McCoy is fine. He's in the sub level with the Lieutenant and my agents. This is what we found in his duffel bag, so obviously he's the real deal." He said gesturing to the pile of gear on the table. "We haven't filed any charges against him, but he's obviously still being held under lockdown. For what it's worth, he's been fully compliant and even...downright polite. We haven't gotten a chance to question him yet, we were up all night working on what Creed gave us. Bob, would you mind taking them down there? I'll be down in a minute."

The assistant director nodded and turned away to lead the mammals to the basement when the Director spoke again.

"Oh, and by the way officers, I hope you realize what could have happened last night. That hit squad might have been sent after McCoy, but it's just as likely they could have been going after you two. I did warn you."

Judy gulped, shooting a look at Nick who was staring back at the director, a nervous look on his face. Neither bothered replying as they turned to follow after the assistant director.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Judy looked through the one-way glass at the mammal who had saved her life twice now. Her emotions were rolling inside her as she tried to make sense of how she should feel about him. On one paw, she hadn't seen him hurt anyone outside of self-defense, he had risked his hide twice to save her, and he at least _seemed_ like a good mammal. But on the other paw, she had seen what he was capable of. The way he had taken out Victor Blackmoore could only be described as savage, and he had been jamming a gun into Nick's ribs only hours ago. She thought again about the black mask she had seen on the Director's conference table and felt a shiver down her spine. Even if it wasn't him specifically in that video, he wore the same uniform, he followed the same orders. But looking at the anxious, tired looking coyote cuffed to a ring on the long table in the interrogation room, it was easy to forget all that.

Nick was feeling somewhat the same way, but personally he found it at a lot easier to forget the bad and accept the good. He certainly hadn't always been a good mammal, but that didn't define him. Besides, anyone who seemed to make a habit out of saving Judy was okay in his books.

The two were shaken out of thier separate thoughts by Lieutenant Granger's soft voice behind them.

"Officers?" Both turned at the question. The lieutenant was dressed down, wearing civilian clothes and Judy couldn't help notice that she looked tired. She kept her voice down so the others in the room wouldn't hear. "I wanted to thank you for what you did. Tice mentioned how you two got him to come in, without you that situation could have gotten ugly."

"Don't mention it ma'am." Nick said graciously.

She gave him a grateful look before stepping away as Skye and Jack approached Nick and Judy.

"Hey you two. How are you doing?" Skye asked in a gentle tone.

"We're fine, thank you." Judy answered. Skye's eyes flicked upwards over Judy's head. "How's he doing though?" She asked, tilting her head towards Wolfard. He had been nearly silent since his interaction with Stagg, only bothering to give the agents and Lieutenant a short greeting. Judy gave a small groan as she looked at the wolf, leaning back in the corner of the room away from everyone else.

"He's...he's doing okay. As well he can be I guess."

Skye and Jack both nodded at that, looking like they understood exactly what the wolf was going through. Judy supposed they actually might, knowing their line of work. All heads in the room turned as Stagg opened the door to the interrogation room, walking in and sitting down opposite from Tice.

"Good morning Mr. McCoy. My name is Matthew Stagg, I'm the director here at the ZIA. First of all, thank you for your cooperation. Is there anything I can get you?"

Judy was a little taken aback at the usually gruff Director's polite tone. She supposed it was an interrogation tactic or something. Tice also shifted in his chair, looking uneasy.

"Uh...yeah I mean, I'd take a coffee if you've got any." He said nervously.

"Could we get him a coffee?" Stagg said, turning towards the mirror. Skye instantly padded out of the room. Judy understood that at least. He was letting Tice know there were others watching. It wasn't much, but being open and honest about the little things might encourage some honesty from the other side.

"So we've got an audience huh?" Tice said with a dry laugh. "Am I gonna get to meet them?"

"If you continue to cooperate and tell us what we need to know, then maybe. You're not under arrest Mr. McCoy but this situation is...complicated."

"Well...let's get this over with then. Thank you." Tice said to Skye as she put a steaming paper cup of coffee between his cuffed paws. As she passed, she also dropped a notebook and a heavy file in front of Stagg. "What do you need to know?"

"First of all," Stagg said, flipping open his notebook, "Where is the rest of Black Knight?"

"I'm not sure. Besides Cutlass...Blackmoore, I mean, I haven't seen any other members in nearly two years. If I had to guess, they're still in Pawnama."

"Fair enough. What can you tell us about the drugs they're selling?"

"Drugs?" Tice asked, looking confused before his face darkened. "Wait, what kind of drugs?"

Stagg paused for a moment before answering slowly.

"Initial analysis says the drug is some kind of cocktail containing black tar heroine, stimulants and the plant midnicampum holycythius."

"God damn it!" Tice swore, startling the Director.

"Do you know it?" He asked, leaning forward.

"Yeah, I know it. I just never thought they would _sell_ that shit."

"What can you tell us about it?" Stagg asked eagerly.

"Well...it wasn't originally heroine and pounce, I can tell you that. We used to call it Instinct. It was some shit that Bonesaw, the team's doctor cooked up. We took it for missions, it heightened your senses, made you feel faster, stronger, sped up your reaction times. I wasn't a fan of the stuff in the first place, but after the Golden Orchid it got worse. Guys started taking the shit just for fun, and finally Gunny Mace caught Bonesaw making a batch. It wasn't military grade shit anymore, it was just shit he was mixing up with what we confiscated off the cartels."

"Woah, woah. You're getting ahead of me here. You mentioned the Golden Orchid. What changed after that?"

Tice's face darkened at the mention of the casino and he rolled the coffee back and forth nervously in his paws.

"Everything changed after the Orchid." He finally said.

"Why? What happened?" Stagg asked.

"We had been in Pawnama a few months, fighting against the Alvarro Cartel. Then, we got intel that Alberto Alvarro, the head of the Cartel was going to hold a meeting at the Golden Orchid with some of the rival families. The government in Pawnama was just getting back on it's feet, and we heard Alvarro might be planning something against president Ramos. The Major figured we could mitigate the threat and take out the Cartel's leadership in one strike. We had the intel, we had a mammal on the inside, we had a plan. Everything seemed like it should've gone perfect."

"But...something went wrong?" Stagg asked.

Tice sipped his coffee and set the cup down with a far away look in his eyes.

"Yeah. Things went very wrong."

"Tell me everything."

 ** _Two Years Prior_**

 ** _The Golden Orchid Hotel and Casino_**

 ** _2300 Hours_**

Rain poured down in a filthy, dark alley in a backstreet of Pawnama City. Just barely blocks away, the opposite of this building bathed the streets in a bright, multicolored wash of color, the neon rainbow sun of the Golden Orchid shining through the night. But beyond the facade, behind the glitz and glamor, the city crawled in the darkness, coated in shadow. And in this particular alley, three particular shadows lay waiting.

"Christ Gunny, this is bullshit. It's 2300 already, if this asshole is late I swear I'll slap him around."

"Quit your bitching Jackknife, what is this your first time in a rainstorm? And we're on the job, use the god damn code names." The Wolverine snapped at the ferret. Jackknife glared back at him from behind his face mask.

"Sure thing _Mace._ And no this isn't my first rainstorm, but you're not the one with white fur. If this shit washes out I'm fucked." The ferret dabbed at the exposed patches of fur on his body, checking to make sure the black grease paint was staying on.

"Whatever, just keep your head in the game. Dagger, you ready? Remember you're on point. Tranqs only 'til we hit the target."

"Roger that Mace." The coyote said back. The three settled into silence as the rain poured down on top of them. The minutes ticked by and all three remained deadly silent, until finally a back door clicked open. A short mammal, a capybara, stepped out into the alley casting a nervous glance around while he tried to light a cigarette. Mace keyed up his earpiece and spoke quietly into his mic.

"Longsword, this is Mace."

"Send it for Longsword" His earpiece crackled.

"Be advised, team one has eyes on male capybara at checkpoint alpha, how copy?"

"Roger, solid copy. You're cleared hot."

"Wilco. Mace out."

The wolverine turned back to his team, leaning in to whisper to Dagger.

"Alright, this should be our guy. Dagger, you're up. Give him the challenge and if he doesn't have the pass then put him down."

"Got it." Dagger replied, standing and silently gliding through the shadows towards the mammal, drawing his tranq pistol. The capybara didn't even see him until he was already on top of him, and the huge coyote easily slammed him against the wall, digging his tranq pistol into his neck.

"Church key!" He gowled in a hoarse whisper. "Church key, motherfucker!"

"Bell tower! Jesus Christ, fucking bell tower!" The capybara wheezed, eyes rolling in fear. Dagger let him go instantly, but quickly spun him around and slammed him back against the wall, patting him down roughly. He dug through his pockets, throwing loose bills and a pack of cigarettes on the ground until he found what he was looking for. He held the cellphone in one paw and smashed it against the wall.

"Hey! Fuckin' asshole, what was that for?" The capybara complained.

"Shut up _Scott_. With what you're making off this, you'll buy a new one." Dagger growled back, causing the capybara to visibly blanch at the use of his name. Dagger looked over his shoulder and gave a quick twirl of one paw and within seconds, two more inky black shadows melted out of the darkness carrying military grade weapons and armor. Scott looked back and forth between the three, looking more and more afraid by the second. Mace stepped up and addressed him.

"Scott Underhill? Did you kill the cameras on our route and clear the way like we asked?"

Scott nodded up dumbly at the larger predator.

"Good. Lead the way and don't do anything stupid."

Dagger spun him around and gave him a push, holding his tranq pistol out just over his head. The large rodent stumbled for a second before finding his footing and walking ahead. Inside, the three found themselves in the underbelly of the casino in a dingy boiler room. They exited through another door and started to head through a maze of maintenance hallways, thier guide leading them dutifully while the three soldiers fanned out in a wedge behind him. True to his word, there didn't seem to be any other mammals around. Finally the capybara stopped in front of an old, rusted elevator, not the type you'd see in the lobby of a hotel.

"Okay, here it is. This is the maintenance elevator. Take this up to the top floor, and when you open the door out of the maintenance closet, take a left and go up the stairs. The presidential suite will be there." Underhill spat his instructions out breathlessly, like he was rushing to get this over with.

"Got it." Mace said pushing past him to hit the up button on the elevator.

"I hope you're not lying, for your sake." Jackknife said while patting the rodent on the face causing him to flinch. After he shook it off he was suddenly anxious.

"Wait! What about my money?" He called into the elevator.

"Check your account in two days. And I would suggest you take the rest of the night off." Mace said as the doors closed. The elevator shuddered to life and began to rise.

"Alright this is it. Dagger, switch to your rifle and stay on point, silencers on. If our intel's right this whole floor should be under Alvarro control so Rules of engagement are to shoot on sight." The coyote and the ferret both began to check over thier gear, tightening body armor and checking magazines.

The elevator ground to a halt and the doors opened, revealing a small, dim room, lit by a single fluorescent. There was a work bench along one wall with tools scattered across it, but the trio ignored that as they headed straight for the door. Dagger turned the handle, easing the door open as he kept his rifle trained straight out ahead of him. The hallway beyond was bright, richly carpeted and completely empty. He padded left into the hall, followed by Jackknife with Mace, the bulky Wolverine covering the rear. He popped the corner at the end of the hall and found the staircase to be empty. They climbed the stairs, but froze at the top. There was just a few feet of wall along thier right side before the hall took an abrupt right. Just around the corner, they could hear two voices conversing in Spanish. Dagger crept to the corner quietly, rifle at the ready. He stopped and looked back, making eye contact with Jackknife and giving him a complicated set of signals with one paw. The ferret nodded in understanding and crept forward, sliding between Dagger's legs to take up a spot along the corner below him.

Dagger waited for him to get in position before holding one paw where Jackknife could see it. With exaggerated motions, he counted from three to one. As his last digit dropped, the two swung around the corner, weapons at the ready. The two gunshots made barely any noise, thier suppressors were top of the line, and even the shells fell to the carpeted floor without a sound. The loudest noise in the whole ordeal was the two bodies slumping to the ground, and even that caused the trio to hold their breath, waiting for shouts of alarm, but none came.

"Nicely done. Get the breaching kit ready." Mace whispered as he turned the corner. He quickly dragged the two bodies away from the set of double doors they had been guarding. As Mace worked, Dagger pulled a small, tan brick from a leg pocket and Jackknife pulled a small metal canister off his belt. As Mace backed away, Dagger stepped forward and placed the plastic explosive in the center of the right hand door while Jackknife pulled the pin on his flash bang. The trio stacked up on the left hand door, facing away from the charge. Dagger pulled a small plastic detonator from his pocket and Jackknife clutched the grenade, holding the pin tightly. Both looked expectantly up at Mace.

"Ready? Breach on three. One." Dagger took a deep breath, fighting off his nerves. "Two." Mace flexed his paw on the pistol grip of his rifle. "Three!" Jackknife relaxed his grip, releasing the spoon on his grenade and priming it.

"Breaching!" Mace screamed. The sound was drowned out as Dagger slammed the detonator and the plastic explosive charge blew the door off it's hinges and into the presidential suite. In the same moment, Jackknife stepped around him and threw his grenade before diving back behind the cover of the door. A sharp crack sounded from inside the room, accompanied by a flash that lit up the hallway for a moment, and then all three threw themselves into the suite with Dagger in the lead.

In stressful moments, it's often said that time seems to slow down. This obviously isn't exactly true. What really happens is that while your body is pumping adrenaline, your mind perceives time as being slower for a brief moment. And in that brief moment after he breached the doorway, Dagger noticed three things. First, there was at least double, if not triple as many hostile as there should have been in this room. Second, more than half of them were wearing the uniform of the Pawnamanian national army. And third, the bull on the couch next to his target, cartel leader Alberto Alvarro, was none other than Diego Ramos, the president of Pawnama.

And then, time quickly caught up, and the room exploded into violence. Within seconds, the large cushy suite was a war zone as the trio started firing at hostiles as they began blindly firing their weapons, stumbling as they shook off the effects of the flash bang. They were easy targets while they were blinded, but the tables quickly turned as a door to another suite burst open and more enemies poured in, almost all of these wearing army uniforms and carrying assault rifles. The three quickly scrambled for any cover they could find as the fresh soldiers let loose on them.

"What the fuck is this shit?" Jackknife screamed over the gunfire at Mace before firing off another few rounds around the corner of the sofa he was hiding behind. "What is Ramos doing here?"

Mace ignored him as he screamed into his mic.

"Longsword, this is Mace! Be advised, intel was wrong, the president is here and we are now engaged with local military!" He broke off, swearing as a round tore through the overturned coffee table he was hiding behind.

Dagger ducked around the edge of the pillar he was using as cover and fired a headshot at a soldier across the room. The soldier dropped, but one of Alvarro's men took his place the next second, firing wildly with a machine pistol. He dove back behind the pillar, wincing as the rounds kicked plaster into his face. This was bad. They had been expecting ten, maybe fifteen hostiles at the most, and they were supposed to be cartel thugs with sidearms, not trained soldiers. Now, it seemed as though they were dealing with Alvarro's men along with an entire squad of Pawnamanian infantry, and to make matters worse, there was no sign of Alvarro or the president.

"I say again, we are outnumbered and outgunned, we-Fuck!" Mace swore again as a soldier charged his flimsy cover, tearing it to pieces with rifle fire. Jackknife saw the charge and stood up, firing a burst into the chest of the soldier. But before he could drop behind cover, a cartel member fired at him with a shotgun and his left paw exploded in a spray of blood. His sub machine-gun fell from his grip as he dropped, screaming as he clutched at his ruined paw.

"Shit! Jackknife is hit!" Mace screamed, ditching proper radio etiquette as he scrambled across open ground to reach the ferret. He grabbed him with one paw and spun, charging across the room, yelling orders as he went.

"Dagger! Take cover behind the bar!"

The coyote sprinted across the room to follow him behind the one solid piece of cover left for them, a long, sturdy bar along the left hand wall. Dagger dove over the bar as Mace slid in behind it, throwing Jackknife to the ground and hurrying to stop his rapidly bleeding paw as the ferret spouted an endless string of curses. Dagger stood up and fired a burst into a soldier trying to flank them and quickly realized how screwed they were. The professional, trained soldiers had began taking up positions around the room, finding cover behind pillars, doorways and furniture, and were taking careful aim.

Dagger stood again and again, sliding back and forth behind the bar to try to pop up unexpectedly, keeping the soldiers from getting a solid bead on him. Almost every time he popped up, he took a soldier down but there was just too many. Finally, Mace slid in next to him, dragging Jackknife behind him.

"Dagger! There's too god damn many of them! This op is fucked, we need to get out of here! Do you see that elevator there?"

Dagger risked a peak over the bar and saw a fancy looking elevator just ten yards away. The only problem was, there was absolutely no cover between the bar and the elevator. Dagger was about to point this out when he turned back to Mace and found him holding out Jackknife's spare flash bang.

"Here. Make it count. The second this goes off we break for the elevator. Stay low and take out as many as you can."

Dagger nodded before switching out the mag in his rifle for a full one. Mace followed suit, and even Jackknife drew his sidearm with his one good paw.

Dagger took a deep breath before yanking out the pin and letting the spoon go from the grenade. He counted one, two, and chanced another half a moment before tossing the grenade up and over the bar, throwing himself to the floor with his paws clamped tight over his ears and his eyes screwed shut. His timing had been perfect. The grenade detonated at the highest point of it's arc, blinding nearly every mammal in the room. Dagger himself even flinched as the concussive soundwave rocked his sensitive ears. He ignored the pain as he threw himself over the bar and began firing at the disoriented soldiers.

Mace streaked past him with Jackknife over his shoulder, the ferret screaming as he fired his pistol wildly. Dagger picked his shots more carefully, taking out the soldiers that were recovering fastest or the ones who were starting to just fire blindly. He positioned himself in front of the elevator as Mace jammed on the button.

"Shit!" Dagger swore as his rifle clicked dry, the bolt locking to the rear. He reached for another magazine as he heard a _ding_ behind him. He looked over his shoulder and was relieved to see the elevator doors opening behind him. He faced forward again, slamming a fresh magazine into his rifle, but that brief hesitation cost him as he felt two sledgehammer blows to his chest, and a searing lance of pain through his shoulder.

The impact of the rounds knocked him off his feet and drove the air out of his lungs. He wheezed in pain as he felt his cracked ribs grinding and his shoulder stinging. He was vaguely aware that someone was screaming his name. _Have to get up_ he thought blearily as he fumbled to get a paw under himself. But then, a set of paws grabbed him roughly from behind and he heard a voice screaming in his ear.

"Don't get up, keep fucking shooting!"

He did as he was told, fighting against the screaming pain in his shoulder as he fired round after round at the nearly fully recovered soldiers. Finally he saw the edges of the elevator pass by on either side. He almost relaxed, but then across the suite he saw he saw it. A goat soldier, standing up behind a sofa yanking the pin out of a frag grenade. Mace was already slamming the close button on the door, but he knew it wouldn't be fast enough. Dagger used the last of his concentration, lined up his shot and fired a round right into the goat's chest.

The goat droppped, the grenade rolling out of his limp paw. Dagger saw several other soldiers diving, scrambling across the floor towards it just before the doors closed. He heard a shuddering _thump_ and a sound like fierce hail as shrapnel peppered the doors, but they held. He slumped tiredly against the back wall of the elevator, closing his eyes.

He hissed in pain as Mace crouched in front of him, wasting no time in treating the bullethole in his shoulder. His armor had stopped the shots to the chest, but he could bleed out from that single shot if he wasn't careful.

"Nice shooting kid. Jackknife, you good?" Mace said as he stuffed gauze into the wound. The ferret gave a weak sound in the affirmative as he pushed himself off the floor, struggling to reload his side arm with one hand. As Mace finished wrapping the wound, he stood, hauling Dagger back up to his feet. He raised a paw to speak into his mic.

"Longsword, this is Mace. Be advised, mission is failed, I say again, mission is failed. Team one is using presidential suite elevator as egress route, how copy?"

"Solid copy, be advised support team has breached on ground floor."

The doors slid open as the elevator stopped, letting the three hear the sounds of sporadic gunfire and screaming.

"Yeah no shit they've breached," he muttered to himself quietly before speaking louder into his mic, "Mace copies all, out."

"Come on, we gotta get out of here. Can you two move?" Mace called back as he stepped out of the elevator. Dagger and Jackknife both answered yes as they hurried out behind him, clutching their weapons and fanning out in a tight wedge.

The atmosphere was almost eerie as they hustled through the empty casino. They were on the second floor, on a wide mezzanine above the main game floor. They passed by restaurants, shops and spas, all empty besides the occasional cowering worker or guest, crouching behind whatever cover they could find, all set to the backdrop of gunfire echoing.

"Down here!" Mace yelled during a brief pause during the gunfire. He was hustling down a wide staircase leading to the game floor, but he threw himself to the ground as a barrage of gunfire erupted. This wasn't the sounds of a sporadic firefight like before, this was the sound of steady, sustained automatic fire from multiple weapons. After what seemed like forever, the barrage stopped, and was replaced by an echoing chorus of cries and wounded groans. Mace and the others dragged themselves off the floor and flew down the rest of the stairs, tearing across the game floor to the source of the gunfire. But as they came up on it, they almost froze in thier tracks.

"Holy shit..." Jackknife muttered. Dagger felt like that didn't do the scene justice. The support team was fanned out in a wide line on the game floor, eight black figures shrouded in clouds of acrid gun smoke, piles of glimmering shells at thier feet. But what had the soldiers rooted in place was the scene at the elevators. Mammals were practically piled on top of each other, some still trying to escape, some trying to crawl, and others not moving at all. The floor and walls around the elevators were sprayed with blood like a bad horror movie, and the cries from the wounded were steadily growing louder.

"Jesus fucking Christ...who gave that order?" Mace asked, swinging his head down the line of soldiers. "I said, who the fuck gave that fucking order?" He screamed, half raising his rifle.

"I did." Came a gravelly reply. Mace eyed the huge grizzly bear with disgust. The bear cradled his M240 machinegun as easily as Mace would carry a rifle, the barrel still smoking and a mountain of shells and links piled around his feet.

"Warhammer, you piece of shit! Those are civilians!" Mace barked, pointing a paw at the elevators. The grizzly stepped forward, snarling.

"There were hostiles in the mix! Don't come at me sideways, I'm not the one who needed my ass saved!"

Mace snarled right back, preparing a reply when a tiger stepped in between the two, paws raised.

"Shut the fuck up, both of you! We don't have time for this!" The tiger roared. Cutlass stepped up next to him, backing up his friend.

"Saber's right," the wolf said, "We need to get to the loading docks before we lose our egress route. Let's move!" Cutlass turned away, pushing several of the soldiers ahead of him to get them moving. Mace and Warhammer stared each other down for another moment before turning away and following after the others.

Dagger was the last of the soldiers to leave. He took off after his comrades, but hesitated after a moment, staring back over his shoulder at the carnage they were leaving behind. He probably would have stared all night, but Mace called after him. He shook himself free of his thoughts and forced his feet to start moving as he chased after the rest of his team.

 **XXXXXXXX**

There was an uneasy silence on both sides of the one-way glass as Tice finished his story. It was clear for all to see that reliving that night was taking a toll on the coyote as he stared down at his shaking paws. Judy stood there feeling just as uneasy herself. Obviously, she had known how that story would end, but hearing it firsthand was shocking. _But Tice wasn't there on the game floor_ she thought to herself, feeling at least a little relieved at that fact. Obviously he had killed plenty of mammals that night, but Judy could see the line between killing in a firefight and shooting into an unarmed crowd.

"What happened next?" Stagg asked, his tone slightly more serious now. Tice took a long, shaky breath before answering.

"We went into the jungle. At first it was just until things calmed down, but then it became clear that they weren't going to. Our intel said that the Alvarro meeting posed a threat _against_ president Ramos, but it was the opposite. He was dirty, and he was there to make a deal with Alvarro. We didn't know the specifics, but there were rumors about the cartel rigging the elections in exchange for favors and the military turning a blind eye. So now, we were stuck in Pawnama with the military against us, and that bastard skunk Alvarro and his goons hunting us in the jungle. Every day, we were fighting against the cartel, and the fighting and...what happened at the Orchid changed the team. The Major especially. He used to be careful, only taking missions to take out key targets, but now we were just ambushing convoys and taking out whole outposts in the jungle. Then, he came to us one day and said he had a mission that could finally get us out."

"What was the mission?"

"The Major had finally found Alvarro's stronghold. It was a plantation in the jungle, but it was more like a fortress. Walls, guard posts, the whole nine yards. It seemed impossible we could take it on our own, but the Major said he found us help. He said they were local militia, but we all knew that was bullshit. We had been fighting the cartels long enough to recognize them when we saw them."

"Major Panthera made an alliance with the rival cartels?" Stagg asked, seeming shocked.

"An alliance, a treaty, I don't know what to call it. Either way, they were on our side, for better or worse. We linked up with them and together, we took out the stronghold. Alvarro was dead, most of his men were too. We thought we were finally done."

"But you weren't." Stagg said, guessing where this was going. Tice gave a weary nod.

"When we took the stronghold...the Major offered what was left of Alvarro's men a choice. They could die...or they could join us. A lot of them chose death but...a lot of them took the offer."

"Why would-" Stagg began, but Tice cut him off.

"I'm not finished. I...I need to say this." Tice paused, closing his eyes as if in pain. "There weren't just fighters at the stronghold. There was a plantation, they were using it to grow their drug crops, and there were...civilians there. Females. And when the battle was over some of the cartel guys, they..."

Tice broke off, swallowing hard and clenching his paws into fists. Everyone in the room felt a cold icy dread in their stomach as they imagined what Tice wasn't even able to say out loud.

"And some of our own guys they...they joined in. And the Major didn't even fucking stop them." Tice finished bitterly.

"And you all just let this happen?" Stagg asked, disgust creeping into his tone.

"No!" Tice shouted, almost rising out of his seat. "We tried to stop them! Me, Gunny Mace, Battle-axe and Scimitar, we fought like Hell, but there was more of them. Then the Major came and Mace challenged him, he told Him this was wrong, that we weren't even fit to be called soldiers anymore. We thought he would listen but...he said..." Tice looked up, as if trying to recall his exact words, " _Insubordination will not be tolerated_. And just like that, they turned on us. Scimitar and Battle-axe didn't even have a chance, they just shot them in the back. Gunny saw it coming though. He grabbed me and made a break for the jungle. We were both wounded, lost and being hunted day and night, but somehow we made it back to the city."

"So this Gunny Mace, he escaped as well? And you would be referring to..." Stagg said quickly, flipping through his heavy file before reading aloud, "Gunnery Sergeant Logan Ballard?"

Tice nodded, but looked distraught just the same.

"Gunny made it to the city but...he never made it out of Pawnama. I got out on my own. I lived on the streets, begging and stealing for a month until I could pay a smuggler to get me on a ship to Zootopia. And now...here I am." Tice finished. He leaned back in his chair, looking exhausted from retelling his story.

"So...Panthera must've recruited who he could from the rival cartels and the Alvarro survivors and took over the operation." Stagg said, seemingly to himself. Tice just shrugged.

"I don't know. Like I said, I haven't seen them since I left Pawnama."

Stagg sat silently for a moment, staring down at his notes before standing up.

"Thank you, Mr. McCoy. That was...helpful. I'll be back." With that, he left the room and came into the room opposite the two way glass a moment later. He walked in and dropped his notes onto a folding table in the center of the room, looking at the others darkly.

"Everyone gather around. We have things to discuss."

Hours later, the group was still huddled around the table, staring at the file which was now spread across the table. In the center was two rows of photographs, with one placed above them all. The photos now had code names attached to them, and the dead members had a red 'X' across them, thanks to the information that Tice had provided. Among the dead were Mace, a maned wolf named 'Scimitar', a polar bear named 'Battle-axe' and of course, Victor Blackmoore. Judy eyed the nine photos that were left without the X, fearsome looking mammals like a hyena named 'Machete' and a huge grizzly named 'Warhammer', and of course, Major Damon Panthera, the one photo that stood on its own above the others, listed as 'Longsword'. Judy listened as Stagg pointed a hoof at a photo of a tiger labeled 'Saber'.

"This has to be our guy, Creed mentioned seeing a tiger at the warehouse. When we kick this raid off tonight, this guy is top priority, he has to be taken alive."

There was murmurs of agreement from around the table, but Nick spoke over them.

"Obviously we need him alive, but me and Carrots here were at Victor Blackmoore's autopsy. The coroner found a cyanide capsule in one of his teeth. I get the feeling this guy isn't going to come willingly."

This caused a few uneasy looks around the table, but Stagg carried on.

"We've considered that Wilde, but this is the best option we've got. We'll just hope we can incapacitate him before he gets the chance. And anyways, that won't be your issue. The ZPD role in all this is perimeter security, that's it. You're going to keep curious citizens out of the area, and my team will be handling the takedown."

Nick seemed ready to respond, but bit back his response at a sharp look from both Judy and Bogo. He settled back, crossing his arms as the room was quiet again.

"Excuse me Director, but what will the MMF's role be in this operation?"

All heads turned towards Lieutenant Granger, who was standing back from the table, paws folded in front of her. Stagg gave her a strange look before replying in a confused tone.

"Ah...well ma'am, it will be an advisory role. You'll be in the command and control unit with me. I mean, I know the MMF didn't provide you with any ground troops for this."

"Well, I believe that I may have at least one soldier qualified for the job." She replied curtly. Stagg stared at her, not understanding until finally something clicked and he looked outraged.

"Wait, are you talking about McCoy? Ma'am, he is _not participating_ in this operation! He isn't even a soldier anymore, at best he's a key witness in a ZIA investigation and at worst he's a suspect."

"I don't see him as a suspect of anything. By his testimony, every mammal he killed was an enemy combatant in an MMF operation as ordered by his commanding officer, or in the case of Blackmoore, an act of self defense. Are you filing any charges against him?" Granger asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well...no. But that doesn't change the fact that he is not a soldier." Stagg fired back indignantly. Granger regarded him coolly for a moment before turning on a heel and walking into the interragation room, causing Stagg to scramble after her. As Granger walked in, Tice sat up straight, looking confused at the new mammal.

"On your feet, soldier!" Granger ordered, her bright, easy tone replaced by one full of discipline. Tice just looked at her in shock, eyes flicking between her and Stagg standing behind her.

"I'm sorry, did I stutter? Or are you denying an order from a commissioned officer? I said, on your feet, McCoy!"

At that, Tice shot up out of his seat, clearly attempting to snap to attention only to have his arms stopped by the cuffs linked through a ring on the table. As it was, he rose as much as he could, with as much dignity as he could muster.

"Better. Now, are you or are you not Lance Corporal Tice McCoy?"

"Yes ma'am." Tice replied.

"Very well. And have you ever received your DD-214 from your commanding unit, relieving you of active duty?"

"Ah...no ma'am." Tice replied, looking he wasn't sure where this was going.

"I figured not. Director Stagg, this mammal is still an enlisted soldier in the Mammalian Military Forces. As he is without a unit or commanding officer, Per article fifteen tac five bravo of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, it is within my right as an officer to claim him under my command until he is returned to his unit or is assigned to another command. Now, unless you wish to file formal charges, please get these cuffs off of my soldier so that he may carry out his duties."

The whole group was stunned into silence. Stagg stared, open-mouthed at the ocelot, rage burning in his eyes, while Tice stared at her equally dumbfounded. Behind the glass, the assembled officers and agents all had a similar look, watching the scene unfold in silence. Well, all besides Wolfard, who just shook his head, a bemused smile on his face.

Inside the interrogation room, Stagg slowly closed his mouth, his eyes smoldering. He turned on a heel and walked out of the room. He stuck his head into other room just long enough to grunt two syllables.

"Jack. Keys."

The hare agent reached into his pocket and tossed a set of cuff keys to Stagg who caught them and dipped back into the interragation room. He tossed the keys on the table in front of Tice, shooting Lieutenant Granger a glare. Tice slowly grabbed the keys, struggling with the lock for a moment before releasing the cuffs and rubbing at his wrists.

"Lance Corporal McCoy?" Granger said, causing Tice to snap to attention, straight as an arrow with his paws at his sides. "Your first, and only order is to assist myself, the ZIA, and the ZPD in the capture and arrest of all assets of the team formerly known as Task Force Black Knight. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am." Tice said with conviction, a determined look in his eye.

"Good to hear. Welcome to the team. I'm First Lieutenant Granger by the way." She said surprising everyone by bringing back her usual tone and extending her paw for a shake. Tice returned the shake, shrugging off his surprise.

"Oh, and one more thing, McCoy. Were concealed cyanide capsules standard issue for Black Knight?"

"Yes, they were ma'am." Tice said a grimace. "I spit mine out years ago though. Had no use for it once I planned on living"

Granger gave him a warm, genuine smile.

"Good to hear, soldier."

Granger turned away, opening the door and leading the way back to the other room, with Tice following behind. He looked around the room, looking uncomfortable until he spotted Judy who he gave a nervous smile to. Tension hung in the air, before finally Nick couldn't take it.

Nick swaggered forward, putting on his old, polished charm and an easy smile. He stuck out his paw, looking up at the coyote.

"Hey there Tice. Nice to meet you. You know, without a maniac trying to kill my partner or a gun in my ribs that is." Tice cringed, quickly opening his mouth for an apology before Nick put a paw up to silence him.

"Kidding! I'm kidding. I heard you saved Officer Fluff's fuzzy butt a few times. We can just go ahead and call that even." He finished, adding a cheeky wink and a grin. Tice managed an uneasy smile as he shook Nick's paw, and Judy felt pride swell in her as Skye, then Jack and even Bogo followed Nick's lead, giving Tice a shake and a greeting. As usual, Nick found a way to hustle everyone.

"Nice one, Slick." She whispered up at him, giving him a slight hip bump. He just gave her his usual smug grin before turning back to watch as Wolfard walked up to Tice. There was a brief moment of tension as the wolf seemed to size up the only slightly smaller coyote before he extended a paw.

"Anthony Wolfard, good to meet you. So I hear you were in the MMF before all this shit. What unit?"

He asked the question casually enough, but Judy could hear an edge to the question that she couldn't place. Tice could apparently sense it too, just barely narrowing his eyes at the wolf as he gripped his paw.

"I was with three-seven, Alpha company rifles."

Judy had no idea what that meant, but apparently it meant something to Wolfard. He stared back for a moment before breaking into a grin.

"No shit, huh? I was in three-seven back in the day. Combat engineer linked up with Charlie company."

Tice broke out into a similar grin as he let go of Wolfard's paw.

"Hah! God damn POG" he said with a laugh. Judy frowned at the unfamiliar term, which he pronounced like 'rogue' only with a 'P', but again apparently it meant something to Wolfard as his grin faded and he gave Tice a serious look.

"Funny," he said, "No one called me a POG when we were pushing into Fallujah."

Instantly, Tice's demeanor changed as his own grin disappeared, replaced by a look of regret.

"Oh shit, you were in Fallujah? My bad man, I didn't know. That shit was the real deal." He said, rubbing at his neck self consciously. Wolfard seemed to let him feel sorry for himself for a minute before breaking back into a grin and clapping him on the shoulder.

"Easy kid, I'm just messing with you. And don't worry, I know where you've been too. Yakistan sure as hell wasn't a playground. Same shit, different desert, rah?"

Tice visibly relaxed, grinning back at Wolfard.

"Fuckin' rah." He said, which got a bark of a laugh out of Wolfard.

Judy watched the interaction, feeling completely lost. She looked up at Nick, who for once looked just as confused as her. In fact, looking around the room, everyone besides Lieutenant Granger looked like they had no idea what the two soldiers were saying. The Lieutenant just gave a quiet chuckle and leaned down to Judy, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Typical enlisted bullshit. They never change." She said, rolling her eyes as if that explained everything. Judy forced a laugh, nodding along like she understood.

"Well this is all just heartwarming." Stagg droned from the corner of the room. "But we could wrap up the meet and greet? We've got a raid to plan."

Judy followed the crowd out of the room as they all filed out, feeling really good for the first time since they started this crazy case as she watched Tice walk out ahead of her, bantering with Wolfard and Nick. She smiled to herself, and was lost in her own thoughts when she felt a paw on her shoulder. She looked up as Lieutenant Granger brushed past her, mouthing a silent thank you as she gave her a grateful look. The simple gesture made her feel even more proud. No matter how this turned out, she was at least sure she had done right by Tice, and she had a feeling he would be paying her back in full.

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 **What's that old saying? The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated? But in all seriousness, I apologize for not writing in basically forever. Hopefully there's still anyone left who's interested in reading this. I shouldn't make excuses, but if youve read my last author's notes, you'll know I had a deployment coming up. Well it came faster than I anticipated and then shit just got crazy. I'm actually writing this on a phone with no WiFi and really, no idea when I'll be able to post this. Either way, if you've been waiting, I apologize. But enough of me making excuses for myself.**

 **So obviously this chapter had a lot less of usual Zootopia characters in it, but I hope this cleared some things up for people who were curious about Tice's backstory. Hope I didn't bother anyone with my constant cursing, but I promise, the military really does swear that much.**

 **Speaking of the military, I guess I'll go ahead and explain some of the military crap in this chapter. For the sections where they're talking on the radio, I swear I did edit those. The constant repition of callsigns, the repeated use of 'be advised' and the fragmented choppy grammar are actually accurate to military radio ettiquette. It takes getting used to, but eventually it comes natural. The term POG is actually an acronym that stands for 'People other than grunts', and is used as a semi derogatory term to describe anyone who isn't specifically an infantryman. Infantry life is usually much tougher than average POG life, and the grunts are pretty proud of that. Wolfard's comment about Fallujah and Tice's reaction is something that would actually be pretty accurate in the real world. In reality, the battle of Fallujah is one of the US Marine Corps' most famous and bloody battles in the twenty first century. Tice's reaction to insulting a Fallujah vet would probably be pretty accurate in the real world. The Uniform Code of Military Justice is a real thing, but my use of it is completely false. And finally, Granger's comment about 'Typical Enlisted Bullshit' is just a joke about how the officer ranks see the enlisted. Which is to say, us enlisted assume most officers seem to think we love nothing more than fighting, drinking and chewing on rocks.**

 **Damn, long ass author's notes. Anyways, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! Keep an eye out because I should have more chapters coming _very soon!_**


	9. Chapter 9

Saber stared out the window of his small, makeshift office. On the warehouse floor below, mammals darted back at forth, breaking down crates and tossing thier contents out onto long folding tables. He grinned as he watched a zebra smash open a cheap, garishly painted vase, bearing the message _¡Hola from Pawnama!_ on the side, letting the tightly wrapped plastic packages spill out over the table. Their newest shipment had made it through customs like clockwork.

Other mammals scooped up the packages, splitting them open into huge pots and mixing in bags of flour and baking soda, adding blue food coloring carefully to get the color just right. Cutting the product he was selling was definitely helping with the profits, something he was grateful for as he looked towards the laptop he'd bought to replace his last one. _Fuckin' junkies probably couldn't handle the pure shit anyways_ he thought, wiping a trace of blue powder away from his nose with a huge paw. He snorted, fighting back his dripping nose and grimaced as the drug-laced phlegm numbed the back of his throat.

He was feeling good as the drug hit his veins, despite the utter failure of last night's hit. Losing Rojas stung, the puma was one of his best shooters, but at least he had managed to waste the two locals before he got taken out. The dead cop was an issue, but still, if there was no one left to talk then there was nowhere for the ZPD to start. He grimaced as his phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out and answered.

"Send it...what? They're fucking hitting us tonight? How the fuck do they even...that lowlife badger survived?! Why didn't I know about this earlier?...You mean to tell me this is the first fucking chance you've gotten to call? Fuck!" He swore viciously, slamming the end button. He stormed to the door to his office and yanked it open.

"Pablo!" He bellowed over the rap music thumping from a portable speaker.

"Si, boss?" A warthog answered, hustling up the stairs.

"I want this shit wrapped up tonight. Break down the shipment, cut it and get it repackaged. Call in extra locals if you have to, but I want this shit ready to move ASAP."

"You got it boss." The hog said, turning away.

"And Pablo...bring in some muscle too. I want this place held down tight tonight." The tiger called after him.

"Will do, boss." Pablo answered, turning away to yell at some of the workers.

Saber leaned against the railing, his huge paws gripping it tight. He watched as the workers on the floor stopped what they were doing to go to the lockers along the walls, arming themselves, slinging shotguns on their backs or stuffing pistols in waistbands. He checked his watch, seeing it was just past six now. P _lenty of time to get this shit_ _done. Just package it up and we're ready to move to_ _our backup site before they come_ he thought. And if they weren't gone by then...

Sabre pulled his pistol out from his leg holster and racked the slide, chambering a round. If the ZIA wanted him, they'd better be ready for a fight.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Judy stood awkwardly near the back of the crowd gathered in the ZIA ready room. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of chewing tobacco as the hyena next to her glanced down at her before spitting his dip into a bottle. She couldn't help but feel like she was reliving her first day at Precinct One. Besides Jack, she was clearly the smallest mammal in the room, and while she had earned the respect she deserved at the ZPD, these mammals seemed less than inclined to give her the same.

She couldn't exactly say she was surprised. Glancing around, this was clearly a tough crowd to please. Most mammals were medium sized like wolves and hyenas, but she saw a strong looking lioness, and even a rhino hulking off to the side. No matter the size, all look like seasoned veterans, with scars, broken noses and hard faces all on display. All in all, the ZIA Tactical Assault Team was a serious bunch of characters.

"Alright, shut up!" Stagg shouted from the front of the room, silencing the murmuring agents. Judy was instantly reminded of how Bogo acted during the morning briefing. Stagg had ditched his usual shirt and tie, and was wearing black tactical pants with a black t-shirt. Once the crowd was quiet Stagg continued.

"Okay, listen up. Tonight, we're going to be hitting the compound of a highly organized, highly dangerous drug operation in the Conway docks. Our intel says the warehouse is being used as a storage facility and cutting house, but we expect expect armed resistance from an unknown amount of hostiles. This tiger," he said, holding up a photo of Saber, "Is our top priority. We need him taken alive, so if you approach him equip tranq rounds or use incapacitating shots. All other hostiles, shoot to kill. Agent Savage is taking the lead on the ground, so I'll give him the floor."

Stagg stepped back as Jack stepped in front wearing a similar tactical outfit. He stepped forward, hooking a laptop up to a digital director and displaying a blueprint on the wall.

"Thank you Director. Alright, our plan for this operation is simple. There are three exits on the warehouse, two are large cargo doors, one opening towards the water, and the other into this parking lot. The third is a standard sized employee entrance, here. So, the plan is to split into three teams. Hornsby, you're taking Alpha team through door Alpha, facing towards the water." He said, motioning towards the rhino. "Dakembe, you'll take Bravo team through the door facing the parking lot." At this he pointed at the lioness. "I'll be taking Charlie team through the employee entrance. We're expecting all the doors to be sealed, so we'll be conducting a simultaneous breach using explosive charges."

He paused, looking towards the stark white fox standing in the front row. Judy could barely see Savage through the forest of other mammals' legs, but she was convinced she could see the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Agent Frost will of course be handling overwatch."

Judy looked up at Nick standing next to her and mouthed the question _Overwatch_? Nick shrugged, looking bemused.

"I know that isn't much to go on," Jack continued, "and I wish I could tell you what we'll be facing once we breach, but the intel just isn't there. We need this op to go smooth, so we'll just have to stay sharp and shoot straight. Any questions? Good." He finished once no paws went up.

"Thank you, Agent Savage. Now, as I'm sure you're all aware, the ZPD is here with us tonight. Chief Bogo?" Stagg said curtly, stepping aside as Bogo walked to the front.

"Thank you. For this operation, the ZPD will be setting up a general cordon under the pretense of a ZIA training exercise five along the edge of the shipping yard. This should give the ZIA plenty of operating room. The cordon will go up just after the ZIA enters the docks, so we shouldn't give the targets any extra warning. And, if any civilians slip through, my officers Wilde, Hopps and Wolfard will turn them back around."

At that, all heads in the room turned to stare at the three officers. Judy had to mentally fight to keep her face calm as the agents stared at her, while Nick simply gave a smug smile and Wolfard stared back with an intense gaze. Most of the agents looked less than impressed, some rolling their eyes and shaking heads. Judy felt the familiar hot flush of anger at mammals underestimating her.

"Officer Hopps?" The Director said, surprising her. "Remember, your post is going to be outside the building Agent Skye is setting up her overwacth position in. It's crucial you keep mammals out of that building and away from her, clear?"

"Yes sir." Judy responded.

"Good. Now...we have another agency here with us today. Lieutenant Granger is here from the MMF. Ma'am?" Stagg said, doing a bad job at hiding his displeasure. The crowd murmured darkly as Judy glanced nervously to her other side at Tice. The coyote was standing there looking serious, but not bothered by the looks the agents were shooting him. It was obvious that certain rumors had begun to swirl around the Agency, and even if these mammals didn't exactly know who he was, they had apparently already decided not to trust him.

"Thank you Director. Good evening agents." The Lieutenant said politely to assembled group. Judy's long, sensitive ears reddened a little as she heard some of the more...colorful comments murmured about the Lieutenant's tight fitting tactical pants and t-shirt.

"My name is First Lieutenant Charlotte Granger of the MMF. As some of you seem to already know, the organization we will be raiding tonight has known connections to the MMF, hence our presence here. However, our influence will be minimal in tonight's operation, as at your Director's continued insistence," she paused, shooting a cold look at Stagg, "Lance Corporal McCoy will be joining Charlie team with Agent Savage as an unarmed advisor."

Judy's eyes shot wide at that as murmurs of agreement rose up through the room. She looked over at Tice and couldn't believe how calm he looked at the prospect of going into a firefight unarmed.

"Is there any questions? No? Very well. Thank you." Granger finished shortly, stepping to the side.

"Alright agents, this is it." Stagg spoke, stepping to the front again while checking his watch. "The Time is now is 2215, we move at 2315 and the raid kicks off at midnight. Gear up and prepare yourselves."

Judy was caught up in the flow of traffic as the gathered mammals all headed out a door in the back of the room, spilling out into the largest room of the ZIA's sub level. Truly, it looked more a parking garage with concrete floors and a ramp leading up to a street exit with a metal garage door. Along one wall was a small fleet of black, unmarked SUVs and a few large, armored trucks. Along the other two were long rows of lockers, with metal tables and benches arranged in front of them.

She stood to one side of the doorway with Nick, watching as every mammal walked up and opened a locker and began piling gear on the benches and tables nearby. Her eyes widened as she saw heavy suits of bulletproof Kevlar armor and guns, all painted black. She looked down at her thin, stabproof breastplate, and then looked over at Nick, who she realized was sporting nothing besides his usual ZPD beat cop uniform.

"Nick? Am I the only one who feels a little...underdressed?" She asked, concerned.

"Ah, well, personally I feel a little _overdressed_ all of a sudden." Nick said, gesturing towards the lockers.

Judy looked and gasped to see several of the mammals openly stripping down out of thier civilian clothes to pull on more appropriate black tactical clothing.

"Sweet cheese and crackers" Judy mumbled as she saw the muscular lioness in just her underwear, casually chatting with the hyena next to her as he pulled a black t-shirt over his head. Clearly, locker room ettiquette was much less strict here at the ZIA.

"Hopps. Judy Hopps. Officer Hopps!"

Judy jumped as she finally heard Jack calling her name. She turned to look at the hare who was giving her a strange look.

"Come on. My gear's the only stuff that will fit you, so you'll be using my extra." He said, walking towards a locker near the end of the row. Judy follows behind him, glancing around sheepishly.

"Um...I don't have to change out here, right?" She asked nervously as Jack popped open the locker.

"No, you're just going to be wearing my extra vest, your cop uniform will be fine. Gonna have to ditch that stab vest though." Judy breathed a sigh of relief as she popped the clasps on her vest. Jack noticed it, and look confused briefly before realization dawned and he chuckled.

"Oh, yeah I guess the locker room situation here is a little...unusual. You get used to it fast, and it promotes team unity."

"All the males say that just so they can keep checking out Dakembe." Skye said from behind Judy. Jack rolled his eyes as he dropped a heavy looking black vest on the bench in front of Judy.

"Oh yeah that's totally it. You know Skye, you females check out..." He trailed off, staring across the locker room at something. Judy followed his gaze and saw Wolfard squaring off with a silver-furred wolf agent, with Nick standing between the two looking stressed.

"I know how to strap my own damn vest on!" Judy faintly heard Wolfard growling.

"Oh god damn it. I should have known Mooney would try messing with him. I gotta go handle that, Skye can you finish helping out Judy?"

"Yeah of course. Make sure Nick gets my extra gear!" She called after Jack as he hustled away. "Males." Skye said, rolling her eyes as she turned back towards Judy. "Okay, arms up."

Judy complied, putting her arms up in the air as Skye dropped the vest over her head. She grunted as the heavy vest settled on her shoulders, her knees bending slightly under the weight. Skye quickly adjusted some of the buckles and tightened the Velcro straps around Judy's waist until she seemed satisfied with the fit.

"So, I hear you're going to be guarding me on overwatch today." Skye said as she dug through Jack's locker.

"Yeah, about that, what exactly is overwatch? Judy asked. Skye chuckled a bit before pulling her head back out of the locker to answer her.

"Well, to put it technically, I'll be employing long range observation and weapons systems to provide the breaching teams with crucial, real-time intel and precision fire support. To put it simply, I'm a sniper." She finished with a devilish grin.

"You're a _sniper_?" Judy asked incredulously. Skye laughed and walked to a locker a few doors down and reached in, pulling out a black rifle with a long barrel and a huge scope mounted on the top rail. Skye propped the butt of the rifle on the ground and posed cockily. Judy was shocked to see that the rifle was almost as tall as Skye was. Skye laughed as she hefted the rifle, placing it on a table behind the bench. She walked back to Jack's locker, leaving Judy to stare at the wicked looking rifle.

"Is it really all that surprising to you?" Skye called out from inside the locker.

"Yes...I mean no, not that you're a...a sniper, it's just all of this in general. Before a week ago, the only real guns I'd ever seen were my dad's old farm shotgun and the ones we saw at the academy, and I never even got a chance to fire either of those.

"Well, I guess I'd better give you a refresher with this then." Skye said back, coming out of the locker with a small pistol in her paw. She turned and pressed the gun into Judy's paws.

"Okay, first of all, don't let the gun freak you out. Shooting it is gonna be just like shooting your tranq pistol, and I'm sure you're a deadeye with that. As it is, I'm sure you won't even have to fire it." She turned Judy's wrist, clicking a button on the side of the gun. "This button will release the magazine. Put the magazine back in and rack the slide." Judy did as she was told and was surprised at how easily the slide pulled back. "Good, now there's a round in the chamber. See this button? That's the safety. It clicks back and forth. If you can see the red, that means the safety is off and you're ready to fire. Just remember, red equals dead, yeah?"

Judy nodded numbly, clicking the safety on and holding the gun awkwardly away from her body. She jumped as Skye reached down, strapping a holster onto her thigh.

"Now, holster it and show me you can draw it."

Again Judy did as she was told, sliding the gun in and out of the holster a few times experimentally.

"Great, you're an absolute natural. Okay, just hangout here, I'm going to get strapped up."

Skye padded away down to the locker her rifle had come out of and began pulling out more gear. Judy dropped down on the bench and looked around the room, trying not to focus on the weight of the holster on her thigh. She watched the other mammals in the room donning armor and helmets, checking over rifles and shotguns and yet again wondered how she got wrapped up in this, in a world where mammals were so comfortable in body armor with weapons strapped to them. She looked across the room and saw Nick getting what looked like a similar lesson in gun safety from Jack. Judy's heart pounded a little as she saw the heavy vest he was wearing. She wasn't sure if she should feel safe that he had it or concerned that he might need it.

She looked away, looking further down the bench but stopped when she saw a mammal alone, sitting on the bench far away from any other mammals. It was Tice, shirtless, digging through the same black bag that he had carried the night he had been brought in. She eyed his shirtless torso, not because of his thoroughly impressive physique, but because of the patchwork of scars that covered it. She had only ever seen the long, thin scar on his face, but that was nothing compared to the rest of him. He had long, jagged slashes across his ribs, small, faint pockmarks along his stomach, and an angry, red weal of scar tissue that looked like it could've been a burn on his shoulder. But most importantly, she could see the dark, stylized mark on the right side of his chest.

Victor Blackmoore's mark had been tiny, easily covered by one paw, but Judy was sure Tice wouldn't have been able to cover his with both paws. Even from this distance she could easily make out the black helm with the crossed swords beneath. She was so caught up in it, she hadn't even realized she was staring, until Skye spoke from just behind her.

"See something you like?"

Judy started with a gasp and spun around to see Skye standing behind her, geared up in body armor with her helmet under her arm. Skye covered her mouth suppressing a laugh.

"No! No, I mean, I was just looking at his...his scars." Judy finished, looking embarassed. Skye let out a small giggle, seeming to calm down for the most part.

"Ah, I'm just messing with you Judy. No shame in it."

Judy's ears reddened, as her embarrassment deepened ever more.

"I really wasn't checking him out." She said flatly.

"Okay, okay!" Skye said, throwing her paws up in defeat. "Suit yourself. I sure as hell am." She finished, giving the coyote a half-lidded gaze.

Judy looked up at her open-mouthed until Skye noticed her.

"What? A girl can't enjoy a nice view? I mean, come on, the dude's ripped!" She said. Judy shrugged, but then decided to maybe mess with her a little in return.

"No, you can check out whoever you want. Just thought maybe you liked your males...shorter and...stripey."

This time it was Skye's turn to stare at Judy in shock. Judy gave her a smug look as Skye narrowed her eyes at her.

"What are you talking about?" She asked in a tense whisper.

"I...may have you seen you two in the elevator the last time we were here. You know, the tail."

Skye gasped and turned to look at her silky white tail as if it had betrayed her.

"Damn you." She whispered accusingly, gripping her tail. Judy laughed out loud, it looked exactly like something that Nick would do. Skye released her traitorous tail and gave Judy a pleading look.

"I'll keep your secret if you keep mine?" She bargained.

"My secret? What do you mean?" Judy asked.

"I mean...Nick obviously." Skye said with a shrug.

"What?!" Judy yelled, getting looks from a few of the agents around her. She leaned in closer to Skye, looking around nervously. "Nick isn't...I mean me and him...there's no secret to keep!" She finally spat out, crossing her arms. Skye give Judy a skeptical look.

"Judy...honey there's something there."

"How would you even know?" Judy shot back, getting frustrated.

"Because...I own a TV? I use the internet? I don't live under a rock? I mean, Nick's graduation ceremony was broadcast on ZNN, I'm pretty sure you pinning his badge on had most of the city drawing little hearts around the two of you. And then since I met you two...you just seem like a couple."

"Oh god...do a lot of people think like this?" Judy asked, looking horrified.

"Oh um...I mean not everyone. Judy it's not a big deal, I'm sorry I brought it up." Skye actually looked regretful, she obviously wasn't happy to see the rabbit so worked up.

"No...no it's fine, Skye. Just maybe don't go spreading it to everybody?" She asked pleadingly.

"Of course." Skye said, giving her a warm smile. "And hey...if maybe there is something there...you can talk to me. I know the whole inter-species thing can be stressful so...I'm here, you know?"

"Okay...thanks." Judy said, giving her an awkward smile. Skye padded back to her own locker, leaving Judy to her thoughts, but to be honest, Judy didn't know what she thought. On one paw, she barely even knew Skye, but on the other, the vixen seemed so thoroughly genuine. Also, she certainly wasn't thrilled that apparently a lot of mammals thought her and Nick were together. She knew Clawhauser and some of the other officers loved to make thier jokes but she didn't know it was so serious. But to hear Skye talk about it, it didn't feel as bad for some reason. She decided she really did like the striking vixen.

Judy looked across the room at Nick, who was just finishing up with Jack. Nick stood off of the bench and adjusted his vest and tightened the straps of his leg holster. _Well...maybe he does look kind of...dashing in ZIA gear_ she thought.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Nick stood up and stretched, getting a feel for the weight of his new equipment. As he twisted to stretch his shoulders, he caught a glimpse of Judy staring at him. Suddenly, Jack was back at his side.

"So. Hopps huh?" The hare said.

"Yeah...what about her?" Nick said, looking down at him.

"So you and her are a thing?" Jack asked casually.

"What? No!" Nick said too quickly, his red fur hiding his blush. Jack looked up at him with a curious look.

"Dude...why not?" He asked slowly. Nick just gaped at him, at a loss for words. Jack laughed, shaking his head.

"Whatever man. Strap up and get your head in the game. We're mounting up soon."

Jack hefted his sub-machinegun and walked off to talk to some of his team members. Nick dropped back down onto the bench, blowing his air out in a long sigh. _Oh yeah, that'll put my head in the game_ he thought.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Tice sat alone on the bench, far away from everyone else. He dug through his bag until he found his shirt, pulling the long sleeve, black fabric over his head and tucking it in. He bent down and dug through the bag again, placing his gear on the ground in the same way he'd always done. Once everything was laid out, he began to strap up.

First, footwraps. The top was a hardened plastic shell, protecting his feet, and the bottom was a heat-resistant rubber sole, allowing him to walk over anything. Next, he strapped on his lightweight, Kevlar weave shin and thigh guards. He stood and straightened, flexing his legs to make sure the straps were tight. He then picked up his sleek black vest. His was nothing like the ZIA's bulky, heavy flak jackets. His was a set of inch-thick hardened ceramic plates, backed by reinforced titanium and cloaked in Kevlar weave. He had one on his chest, one on his back, and two smaller ones on his ribs. Finally he strapped his Kevlar arm guards and relaxed back onto the bench.

He heaved a sigh as he reached back into his bag and found the small metal tin of black grease paint. _I_ _always hated this part_ he thought as he took a glob of the paint and began to work it into any exposed bits of fur, starting with his toes and the tops of his feet and working his way up to his tail, wrists, his throat, the tip of his muzzle, and even his ears. He had just closed his eyes to work the paint into the fur around them when he heard a voice in front of him.

"Is that all really necessary?"

Tice opened his eyes carefully, cautious of stray paint on his eyelids and saw Lieutenant Granger standing in front of him.

"Good evening ma'am." He said respectfully as he shot to his feet, hands folded behind his back in perfect parade rest. Granger laughed quietly at the sight.

"At ease, McCoy, at ease. You don't have to do that crap for me, really. That little bit I did back in the interragation room was really just a show I was putting on for Stagg. As far as I'm concerned, we're both soldiers and I couldn't give a damn how you stand when you talk to me."

Tice breathed a sigh of relief as he relaxed, dropping back down on the bench.

"Thank you ma'am." He said as he checked his reflection in the polished metal of the tin's lid.

"So...is it? The paint I mean, is it really necessary?"

Tice paused, thinking for a moment before clicking the tin shut and tossing it back in the bag.

"No, not really I guess. Old habits die hard though." He gestured around the locker room at the other mammals who were making the final touches to thier gear. "Everyone's got their own routines. I was with Black Knight for over a year and every single mission, we painted up together. Just would've felt...unlucky to skip it I guess."

Granger pursed her lips, nodding in agreement. She shuffled her feet for a second before speaking in a quiet tone.

"Do you know him well? This...Saber character?"

"Yeah...I mean, sort of. He had been with Black Knight for a while when I got there, he was one of the originals. We didn't talk much but...I know enough about him to wish I was carrying my rifle."

Granger winced, grimacing.

"I know, I'm sorry about that. Stagg threatened to cut us off, damn the consequences if I sent you in armed. If you want to back out, I would understand-"

"No. I'll be fine ma'am I know how to keep my head down." Tice answered quickly. The ocelot gave him an appraising look before answering.

"Very well. Just...be careful, McCoy. I don't plan on losing a good soldier tonight. And make no mistake, you _are_ a good soldier."

"Thank you ma'am." Tice said. Granger looked back to see some other mammals approaching and stuck her paw out to him for a shake.

"Good luck, McCoy." She said, giving him a secretive wink. Tice felt the small object in her paw, and slipped it carefully into his palm with a nod. He glanced at it as she stepped away, and hid his surprise when he saw a spring-loaded fighting knife. He quickly slipped it underneath his left arm guard as he turned to greet the two lapines and foxes approaching him.

"Jesus McCoy...is that makeup?" Jack asked, looking at the greasepaint around his eyes and ears. Judy, Nick and Skye looked similarly amused at the goofy looking markings.

"I prefer the term _warpaint_." He replied, getting a chuckle out of the group.

"You ready? We're loading up soon, you're in the first truck with us." Skye said casually, her rifle laid over her left shoulder. She jerked her thumb over her other shoulder at one of the large armored trucks.

Tice nodded before pulling on his black gloves and bringing his helmet out of his bag. The agents' and officers' grins faded as he buckled the helmet under his chin and lowered the faceplate. He buckled the bulletproof upper half onto his helmet and smoothed out the skintight fabric lower half so that it covered his throat and muzzle. Suddenly, the grease paint made sense as literally every inch of the coyote's sandy fur was covered, either by paint, fabric or bulletproof armor. Nick let a low whistle as Tice stood, looking fierce as he towered over the two foxes.

"Oh yeah, warpaint is definitely a more accurate term." He said. Tice made two fists, placing one on the right saw of his jaw and cranking his neck to the left before repeating the process to the right side, cracking his knuckles and neck.

"Alright, I'm good to go." He said casually.

"Good. Let's mount up." Jack said, hefting his weapon and heading away for the truck. The five mammals crossed the room, getting looks from some of the agents as they loaded into their own vehicles.

"Hey," Judy said, trailing just behind with Nick. He looked down at her as she gave him a nervous smile. "Ready to make the world a better place?" She asked, grinning as she held out a tiny fist. Nick gave a smug smile as he returned the fist bump.

"Totally." He said, acting a little more confident then he really felt.

 **XXXXXXXX**

" _I feel the hate rise up in me, kneel down and clear the stone of leaves, I wander out where you can't see, inside my shell I Wait and bleed!"_

Judy's ear twitched as the drums rocked to life in the hyena's headphones and the canine bobbed his head to the beat. He hadn't taken the things off since the truck had left the compound and Judy's own ears were starting to ache just imagining how loud the thumping metal music must be for him. She wrinkled her nose again as the hyena uncapped a bottle and spit another minty smelling glob of dip spit into his bottle. Before Nick got on the force, Judy had some dippers as partners before, and there had been plenty back in the Burrows and she had always hated the smell. _Couldn't have gotten stuck next to anyone else_ she thought to herself.

The earpiece she had been given crackled to life as Stagg spoke from the command and control vehicle somewhere in thier convoy.

"Be advised, first vehicle is passing the ZPD cordon now, command and control vehicle is breaking off. Mission is a go. Good luck."

"Alright everyone, button up! Hendricks!" Jack yelled over the truck's engine, throwing a kick at the hyena to get his attention as he performed his final checks on his gear. There were ten mammals crammed into the truck, including the three ZPD officers, Skye, Tice, and Jack and the four other mammals on his assault team. The other truck was carrying the other two five mammal teams just behind them.

Judy looked out the wire-mesh windows on the rear doors as they passed the ZPD roadblock. The lights on the two cruisers were off, but Judy saw two officers running a spike strip across the road behind them. She gulped hard at the sight as she fought to keep her nerves in check. She looked up at Nick, who as always looked cool as a cucumber. He noticed her looking and gave her a cheeky smile before reaching down and giving her a paw a reassuring squeeze. He moved to pull it away, but Judy gripped it back hard, giving him a pleading look. Nick looked back, wide-eyed, but didn't fight it. Judy breathed a sigh and faced forward, and saw Skye across the aisle from her. The vixen glanced at thier intertwined paws and gave a tiny smile before making a point of reaching down and giving Jack's leg a quick squeeze.

The truck tumbled to a stop and Skye stood up, suddenly all business. Jack leaned forward, rattling off orders.

"Hopps, this is your stop. Remember, keep everyone far away from Skye's position. Wolfard, Wilde, unbuckle, you're up next. The rest of you, we're the final stop, just around the corner from the target. Hit the ground running and move fast."

Judy nodded before sharing a look with Nick and unbuckling her seat belt. Skye opened the door and hopped out onto the pavement, slamming the doors shut again as Judy joined her. The truck rumbled back into motion with the other following off into the night. Judy watched it go, rooted in place until Skye put a paw on her shoulder.

"Hey, Judy. Focus. Nick will be fine and so will you, it's time to get to work."

She turned away and jogged over to a door into the abandoned, dingy looking office next to them. She opened the door, the rusted hinges screaming, and stopped to look back at Judy.

"My position is on the top floor. All the other exits have been checked out, they're sealed tight from the inside. Just stay here, look tough and scare off anyone who comes close."

With that she turned and tore off into the building, leaving Judy to stand awkwardly on the sidewalk. She crossed her arms, trying to ward off the Tundratown chill, but found it too awkward with the vest on and settled for standing with her arms hanging at her sides. She stared off down the street, just barely making out the brake lights of the rear truck as it stopped. _So that's where Nick is_ Judy said to herself. That wasn't so bad. If she squinted she might even be able to see him. She watched as the trucks took off again and could swear she could see a blue and red dot on the sidewalk.

Be careful Nick." She whispered to herself. "And you too, Jack." She added as an afterthought, thinking of her new friend hiding just a few stories above her.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Jack slammed the doors of the truck shut after Nick and Wolfard hopped out onto the sidewalk. He spared a brief glance back at them as they pulled off, seeing Wolfard already hustling off to his post as Nick took up his watch on the corner.

"Command, this is Charlie-actual. ZPD is in position." He spoke into his com-piece.

"Command copies. Proceed to the target." Stagg replied from his command and control vehicle just past the ZPD cordon.

"Roger. Alpha-actual, Bravo-actual, proceed to target, how copy?"

Hornsby the rhino and Dakembe the lioness both rogered up, indicating they were ready.

"Okay, let's move!" Jack yelled as the truck rumbled to a halt. He threw open the back doors, jumping to the sidewalk and hustling down to the corner of the building. His four agents followed him, with Tice bringing up the rear. When all six mammals were stacked up against the wall, he peaked his head around and eyed the target. It was a square, dingy looking warehouse, no different then any of the other buildings around, but Jack could see faint light shining through the filthy windows. He also saw a sentry, posted up on the edge of the rooftop, his weapon cradled under his arm. It didn't look like the mammal was suspicious yet, so Jack ducked behind cover and keyed up his comm.

"Overwatch, I have eyes on a sentry on top of the roof, do you see them?"

"Roger, be advised there are two more on the other edges of the roof, one opposite your position and one facing over the water." Skye said hurriedly.

"Bravo-actual has eyes on one sentry." Dakembe broke in.

"Roger Bravo, overwatch, do you have a shot on the third sentry?"

"Roger." Skye answered.

"Very well. We'll take them out simultaneously. Use tranq ammuniton, keep it quiet."

Jack quickly switched out his lethal rounds for a magazine full off silent, compressed air tranquilizers as Skye and Dakembe both copied.

"On my mark. Three, two, one, mark!"

He whipped around the corner, lined up the shot and fired a single dart that struck the mammal in the chest. He barely heard his target grunt before the mammal dropped backward onto the rooftop.

"Overwatch, are all hostiles down?" He asked.

"Affirmative."

"Roger. Wait for response."

Jack held his breath while he waited for the doors to burst open or shouts of alarm from inside the warehouse. After a minute, he relaxed and keyed his comm again."

"We're clear. All teams, proceed to breach points, lethal ammunition is approved."

Jack swung around the corner, sprinting across the open distance and slid in next to the door, his team hot on his tail. As Jack leaned against the wall, he heard the thumping of music inside.

"Hendricks, you're up!" He whispered at the hyena. He silently complied, sliding up to the door and pulling an explosive charge from his over his shoulder. He planted it onto the seam between the double doors, fingers flying over the surface of the charge as he connected wires, rigging the detonator. He stepped back from his work and gave Jack the thumbs-up with one paw, holding the detonator in the other.

"Charlie is up." He said into his comm.

"Bravo is up." Dakembe said breathlessly.

"Alpha is up." Hornsby rumbled.

"Roger. Command, all teams prepared to breach."

"Roger Charlie-actual. Proceed with action on target."

"Roger. All teams, breach on my mark. Three, two, one, mark!"

The whole building seemed to shudder as the charges detonated at almost the exact time. Jack stormed forward through the smoke into the warehouse, his weapon in front of him.

"ZIA, paws in the air!" He screamed as his agents poured in behind him, screaming their own orders. For a moment, the only thing that moved was smoke and fluttering debris. Then, he heard someone curse loudly in Spanish before automatic fire ripped through the smoke towards his team. Jack flinched as the rounds snapped between his ears before he threw himself to the ground, scrambling behind a shipping crate.

"Take cover!" He screamed as the warehouse exploded into pandemonium. He swung around the crate and fired his weapon at a charging zebra, dropping him just feet away. He ducked back behind cover and was horrified to see Mooney, his wolf agent dragging Hendricks behind an overturned table on his left. The hyena was coughing and sputtering as blood poured from a hole in his throat. _That bullet was meant for me_ a voice in his head said, freezing him in place. Suddenly he saw red, and screamed as he threw himself around the edge of his cover, firing a long burst at his next target. He knew it was reckless, he was wasting ammo and taking risks, but in that moment he didn't care. That was, until the dingo that he hadn't seen charged him from his blind spot.

The canine slammed the butt of his double barrel shotgun into Jack's head, knocking him to the floor. Jack scrambled to bring his weapon around but he knew he would be too late. Just then, he heard a mechanical click above him before Tice dove over him, slamming his paw into the dingo's neck. His paw went limp on his shotgun and Tice ripped the weapon out of his hand, tearing his paw away from his throat viciously. The dingo dropped, and Jack was stunned to see a small, bloody knife clutched in his paw. Tice dropped into cover next to him, still holding the shotgun by the barrel. Jack eyes quickly flicked from the shotgun, to Tice and then to the knife. Tice locked eyes with him for a moment before growling and slamming the shotgun on the ground, shattering its stock and tossing it away. He looked back at Jack and gave him a fierce look. He held the bloody knife up in his paw.

"I'm keeping this." He said simply, sounding defiant. Jack barely waited a second before shaking his head.

"Fuck the knife. Cover me." He said, drawing his pistol and shoving it into Tice's paw. Tice gave him a wicked grin and a nod. Jack nodded back before breaking cover and sprinting towards Moony and Hendricks with Tice at his back, firing at hostiles. The two slid in behind the table and Mooney immediately looked up at him with fear in his eyes.

"Savage, this isn't good! He's going to bleed out!"

The hyena was already starting to go still as blood seeped up from between the wolf's paws. Jack swore and stuck his head up over the table. None of this was going as planned. Already he could tell his team was outnumbered almost two to one, and even though their enemies were obviously untrained, their sheer numbers were working in their favor as they hid behind shipping crates and overturned work tables, spraying shots at the agents. Bravo team wasn't faring any better than his own, having barely made it feet into the warehouse before being forced into cover, and Alpha team hadn't made it in at all and were firing around the edges of the hole they had blown through the garage doors. The remaining two mammals of Jack's team were posted on either side of the employee entrance doing much of the same. _How the hell were they so ready for us?_ Jack asked himself.

"Keep pressure on the wound! Command, this is Charlie-actual!" He screamed into his comm, but it was useless. The sounds of screaming and gunfire drowned out any reply from Stagg, and somewhere, a speaker was still blaring rap music. Jack swore to himself as he realized they were on their own. He turned and grabbed Mooney's rifle from where he dropped it and grabbed two magazines off the front of his flak jacket, passing both to Tice. Mooney looked on, horrified.

"Jack, what the fuck-" he shouted before Jack cut him off.

"Shut up, it's my call! Keep pressure on his neck! Tice, let's go we have to flank them!"

He took off again across the warehouse, Tice following behind, spraying lead at the hostiles. They charged through the withering gunfire until they reached the opposite wall, hiding behind a stack of wooden crates. From here, the two could hit their targets from the side and create a deadly crossfire. Jack turned and fired a burst, dropping a mammal and quickly hid behind cover as rounds came flying his way. He looked over at Tice and watched as the coyote popped the corner again and again. Each time he was barely out of cover for a second, but he would squeeze off two quick shots and duck back. Jack peaked out of cover to watch, and was amazed to see that every time Tice fired, his rounds found thier targets, two rounds center mass, and another enemy dropped. Jack looked back at Tice and marveled that the soldier wasn't even breaking a sweat. _Holy hell...I'm glad he's on our side._ Jack thought before a shock ran through him. _But that tiger isn't!_

"McCoy!" He screamed. "Where is Saber?"

Tice fired two more shots, dropping a cheetah with a shotgun before he ducked back and yelled back to him.

"I don't know! He must be waiting to see if his guys can finish us off!"

Jack peaked out of cover again and judged there was little chance of that happening. Between the crossfire they had set up and Tice's expert shooting, their enemies had dwindled until the agents finally outnumbered them. The remaining dozen were forming a tight circle in the center of the room, cowering behind thier cover and firing blind potshots at the agents, who were still picking them off with thier more trained, accurate shooting. Jack dipped back behind the box and looked up to yell at Tice again, when he heard glass shatter somewhere above them. Tice looked around the edge of cover, and Jack saw his eyes go wide.

"Grenade!" The coyote screamed, throwing himself on top of the hare. There was a brief pause, and then an earth shattering explosion rocked the building. Jack felt the air pushed out of his lungs as the blast forced him flat on the ground. His ears were instantly ringing, though that was the only sound he could hear. He quickly shoved Tice off of him and stumbled around the pile of now splintered crates, his weapon in front of him. His stomach turned when he saw what was left of the dozen or so mammals they had been fighting. The space around them was charred and blackened, and what was left of thier cover had been thrown around the smoky room. Jack was relieved when he saw his agents from Bravo team dragging themselves to their feet behind their own shattered cover. Jack looked towards the roof and noticed a small room, like a loft suspended above the ground floor. He must have missed it during the chaos of the firefight. Then, he jumped as a huge black shape threw itself out the broken window. The mammal landed heavily on the ground, stumbling before gaining his feet. Jack's breath caught in his throat. Even under the black armor and warpaint, he recognized the form of a tiger.

"Saber!" He screamed, aiming his weapon. The tiger spun, snarling as he leveled a pistol towards Jack. Jack reacted on instinct, firing a burst, but the rounds went wild and just barely skimmed the tiger's shooting arm. This was lucky as it sent the tiger's shot wide, the round screaming past Jack's head. The tiger howled in pain and turned away, sprinting towards Alpha team and the exit towards the water. Jack tore off after him, trying to switch his magazine for tranq rounds as he ran.

"Priority target spotted! Take him down!" He screamed into his comm. Ahead of him, he saw Hornsby step around the edge of cover, the rhino's massive form nearly blocking the entire hole. He levelled his huge shotgun at the tiger, but before he could fire, Saber brought his pistol up and fired five rounds in the blink of an eye. The rhino bellowed in pain as he fell backwards, blood streaming from his face. Saber jumped over the fallen rhino and slashed at a wolf who charged towards him. Jack's heart hammered as the sight ignited his rage again and he took off after the tiger, forgetting about his sub-machinegun slung across his chest.

Jack jumped and easily cleared Hornsby, landing nimbly and taking off after Saber. The tiger was fast, but Jack could still see him in the light pouring out of the breach in the garage door. Jack caught up to the tiger as he sprinted toward the water and dove, throwing a powerful, double-pawed kick at the tiger's legs. Saber dropped, rolling, as Jack tumbled with him. Triumph briefly flared in Jack's heart before he felt huge paws wrap around him as the tiger rolled back up to his feet, spinning around to face the warehouse and the agents piling out of it. Jack felt a paw across his chest and claws digging into his face as he was lifted off the ground.

"Back the fuck up! One more fucking step and I rip the bunny in half!" He roared, holding Jack over his chest and face. The agents that had began to take up positions outside the warehouse hesitated. The tiger was in the open, but any shot could possibly hit Jack. And if they used tranqs, the tiger was huge, and judging by the contents of the warehouse, he could be hopped up on drugs. There was no guarantee the tranqs would take him down before he killed Jack. Dakembe yelled into her comm, not sure how to handle the situation.

"Command this is Bravo-actual! Primary target has Charlie-actual hostage, he's using him as a body shield, please advise!"

"Stand down Bravo-actual, do not risk a shot! Overwatch do you have eyes on the situation?" Stagg yelled back.

"Yes, but I don't have a clear shot!" Skye answered, sounding near tears.

"Overwatch, I need you to _find_ a clear shot. You have the best angle. I'm authorizing lethal ammunition."

"No! I won't do it, I could hit Jack!" Skye yelled back, sounding nearly hysterical now. A few of the agents glanced at each other when they heard Savage's first name.

"That was an order, Overwatch! When you see the shot you take it, we don't have time!"

Stagg was more right than he even knew when he said that. Saber was backing up now, eyeing the agents wildly as he slowly moved backwards down a concrete dock. Finally one of the agents spotted what he was going for.

"He's got a boat in the water! He's going to try to escape!"

The agents all started to close in as they saw the small craft for themselves, but stopped again as Saber roared, tightening his grip on Jack.

"Damn it Overwatch, if you don't take that tiger out Charlie-actual is dead anyways, we'll just be fishing him out of the harbor! Take the god damn shot!" Stagg screamed over the radio.

"Skye, do it, just take the shot!" A muffled, strained voice said. It was Jack, turning his head so he could speak into his comm. The agents all faltered at the use of the sniper's real name, some giving each other confused, nervous looks. In that moment, no one noticed the armored up coyote slipping in between their firing line, raising his rifle. No one besides Saber, that is.

"Dagger!" He screamed, hate and rage burning in his yellow eyes. "You fucking traitor!"

His screaming snapped the agents back into action, but now they were thoroughly confused, half aiming their weapons at Tice and half aiming at Saber while Dakembe frantically screamed into her comm. Tice wasn't panicking though. He calmly stepped forward, aiming down the sights, and as Saber released Jack's face to grab the sub-machinegun hanging from the hare's sling, he cracked off two quick shots.

The rounds smashed into Saber's right elbow, tearing through bone, muscle and cartilage. He roared as the arm fell to his side, useless and Jack sprawled to the ground. Tice wasted no time, following up with another two rounds, these ones hitting the tiger's right knee, collapsing the leg beneath him. Saber dropped to one knee and Tice charged, closing the distance and slamming the butt of his rifle into the tiger's face and sending him sprawling. He planted a foot on Saber's chest and aimed the rifle just inches from his face.

"Stay the fuck down Saber! Don't make me kill you!" He yelled.

"Do it! Do it you fucking coward! You thought you were better than us, but you're not, you're just weaker!"

Tice growled and slammed the barrel against the tiger's forehead savagely. It was a powerful blow, but the tiger's facemask absorbed it. He snarled at Tice before giving him a mocking smile.

"Knew you didn't have it in you. See you in hell, Dagger."

Tice lunged forward, trying to pry open Saber's mouth, but he was too late. He heard a faint crunch and watched as the tiger's body went rigid, foam bubbling up from between his clenched teeth as the light left his eyes. Tice closed his eyes, swearing under his breath before tossing the rifle to the side and stepping back, dropping to his knees with his hands over his head. He watched as Jack hauled himself up to his feet, blood dripping from one side of his face where the tiger's claws dug into him.

"Tice, what are you doing?" He asked, looking between him and the fallen tiger. Tice motioned towards the approaching agents with his head, keeping his hands where they could see them.

"Staying alive. Still not sure your boys back there know who's side I'm on."

Jack looked back and saw the agents rapidly approaching with their weapons trained on Tice. He raised a paw to stop them, stepping in between them and the coyote. The agents slowly stopped, looking warily at the senior agent. He ignored them as he turned back to the now dead tiger and grimaced, keying up his comm.

"Command, this is Charlie-actual. Priority target is dead. Area secure." He clicked the comm off and eased himself off his feet, slowly sitting on the ground next to Tice as his sore muscles complained.

 _Well, shit._ He thought.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Blocks away, Judy finally relaxed as she heard Jack's voice come over the comm again. For the past twenty minutes, all she had been able to hear was a chorus of gunfire and explosions coming from the direction of the warehouse and panicked, frantic messages over the comm. She breathed a sigh of relief to know the striped hare had survived.

She leaned back against the wall, wondering what she should do now. Obviously she had to wait for some kind of order to meet up with the rest of the team, but the action was already over. Then, her ears twitched as she heard something. She turned, looking back and forth to triangulate the source of the noise, and finally focused on a side street between two warehouses. Finally, she recognized the noise as two voices speaking back and forth in Spanish. Her heart began to pound as she pushed herself off the wall, drawing her pistol and clicking off the safety with a shaking paw. Her mind raced as she considered the possibilities. Did she need to call this in? Should she alert Skye? Suddenly her options ran out as two mammals came running around the edge of a warehouse, barely thirty yards ahead of her.

"Stop! ZPD, paws in the air!" She yelled, holding the pistol out in front of her. The mammals didn't even slow down. She could barely see them in the moonlight, but one was obviously helping the other along, like he was wounded.

"ZPD! I said stop!" Judy cried, keeping a firm grip on the pistol. Suddenly one of the mammals turned and Judy yelped as she heard three quick shots, the muzzle flash of the weapon stinging her eyes. Dust exploded off the wall next to her as the rounds buried themselves into the brick. Judy's instincts kicked in, and almost without thinking, she fired off a shot back at the two.

Skye had been both right and wrong about it being just like firing her tranq pistol. The trigger and sights might work the same, but the harsh crack of the gunshot and the recoil scared her so bad she almost dropped the weapon. When the smoke cleared from her shot, she now saw one mammal sprinting off through the night. Instantly, her comm crackled to life.

"Command, this is Overwatch, we are taking fire!" Skye yelled, sounding alarmed. A moment later, Judy heard a much louder, deeper gunshot and saw a spray of concrete burst up next to the fleeing mammal. The mammal zigzagged frantically before tearing off onto a side street and disappearing.

Judy's paw shook as she slowly approached where she had shot. She hadn't even really been aiming, but she remembered where the two mammals had been when she fired. A cold, icy dread formed in her stomach as she thought of how she fired at two, but only one mammal ran off. As she got closer, she froze as she saw a crumpled form, laid out on the pavement ahead of her, a dark pool forming around it and her mind stopped working.

She barely even heard as the door flew open behind her, Skye barreling out onto the sidewalk with her pistol out.

"Judy!" She yelled frantically before spotting the bunny, frozen in place in the street with her paws still clutching the pistol. She approached her slowly, checking her over before rushing past her towards the downed mammal, crouching briefly before she rushed back to Judy.

"Okay, Okay easy Judy. Just breathe." She said gently, easing the pistol out of her grip. "Come here." She said, putting an arm around Judy's shoulders. As she started to move, the dam inside Judy broke and tears started to stream from her eyes. Skye led her over to the wall and gently pushed her down into a sitting position, standing over her protectively.

"Command, this is Overwatch. One hostile down, one escaped, no casualties. Requesting pick-up." Skye said, before dropping down next to Judy and pulling the shaking rabbit close and whispering calming things to her. Judy didn't hear her as her tears continued to flow. _What the hell have I done?_ She asked herself.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Jack sat on the back step of the huge ZPD truck parked outside the now fully lit warehouse, wincing as the medic continued to stitch the lacerations on his face. He had suffered worse, but the medics had insisted on him getting it worked on, so he had grudgingly agreed. He leaned back as the beaver tied off the last stitch and closed up her suture kit. He looked up as he saw Nick hurrying over to him, raising a paw to the fox in greeting.

"I heard the comm message, where's Judy?" He asked frantically.

"Easy Nick, she's with Skye. Command and control vehicle should be bringing them here any minute. Don't worry, Skye's one of our best shots and she said there was no casualties, Judy is totally fine."

Nick only looked slightly relieved, pacing back and forth as Wolfard caught up with him. The wolf gave Jack a nod which the hare returned silently. He looked up again as a black SUV rolled up. The vehicle had barely stopped when the side door flew open up and a blur of white fur and body armor shot straight towards him. He braces for impact as Skye slammed into him, wrapping him in a hug. Jack returned the hug gratefully, but stiffened slightly he saw Stagg over her shoulder, giving him a dark look.

"Oh my god, you idiot!" Skye yelled as she pulled back. Jack was surprised at her harsh words and angry look. "What the hell were you thinking, charging him like that?"

"He was going to get away! You should've just taken the shot." Jack grumbled back. He flinched as Skye looked like she might slap him for a second, before she just wrapped him in another bone-crushing hug.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" She whispered harshly in his ear, before finally stepping back. Suddenly Nick was at her side, looking anxious.

"So sorry to interrupt, but where the hell is Judy?" He asked, barely keeping his tone in check. Skye's face took on a strange look before she grabbed Nick by the elbow and took him off to the side. Jack watched as she had a few hushed words with the red fox, before Nick darted towards the SUV looking worried. Skye walked back over to the truck and dropped down next to Jack, her head in her paws.

"What's wrong? I thought you said you got the shooter with no casualties?" Jack asked.

"I didn't. Judy got the guy." Skye mumbled. Jack grimaced as he heard her and finally saw Judy come around the back of the SUV, looking visibly distraught with Nick wrapping an arm around her. _Oh hell_ he thought, getting ready to go to the rabbit before Stagg stepped in front of him.

"Not so fast Savage. Sit down." The buck commanded. Jack dropped back down with a nervous look to Skye. Stagg stared furiously at his two agents before speaking in a harsh whisper.

"Would you two mind telling me exactly what the _fuck_ is going on?" He looked back and forth between the two before continuing on. "You, Agent Frost, denied a direct order from me during a critical moment in an operation, and broke radio ettiquette using a fellow agents name over an open channel. And you, Agent Savage, called her Skye just _moments_ after she called you Jack, and you apparently took it upon yourself to arm a highly trained military operative that I had _specifically_ said was not to have weapons during this operation. And now, I show up just to find you two looking like lovesick high school sweethearts in front of half the ZIA. So really, _please_ , would one of you like to sort this shit out?" He finished, his eyes burning. Skye stayed quiet, her eyes locked on the pavement, but Jack felt the need to defend himself.

"Sir, with all due respect, I made a gut call on the scene. McCoy saved my life, _before_ I even gave him a weapon. We were outnumbered and he helped me turn the tide in there, he even managed to take down Saber!"

"Oh yes, I'm very aware of that. I'm sure we'll get a lot of crucial information out of him during the fucking autopsy!" Stagg shot back. Jack bit back a retort. He didn't feel that was fair, there was little chance that the tiger could've been taken alive and the coyote had saved his life, but Stagg wouldn't see any of that with how angry he was. Stagg glared at him for another moment before turning away.

"Whatever. I'll deal with you two later. Oh, and Savage? Just in case you weren't keeping count, Hendricks is dead, same with Jefferson from Bravo team, and Hornsby is in critical condition. Just thought you should know."

Jack's heart took every word like a hammer blow. _Two agents dead...for what?_ He asked himself. Skye discreetly reached over and gave Jack's paw a squeeze. She let go as yet another mammal approached the two.

"Good evening agents." Lieutenant Granger said with her usual politeness. "Is there any chance you'd know where McCoy is?"

Jack pointed over to the other truck where Tice was sitting alone with his helmet next to him. He had managed to keep himself out of handcuffs so far, but all of the agents were still giving him a wide berth.

"Thanks. And Agent Savage...I heard what you did in there. I don't know if McCoy would have made it out alive if it hadn't been for you giving him a chance."

Jack laughed drily, thinking of when Tice saved his skin from that dingo. He remembered the knife Tice had pulled from seemingly out of nowhere, but suddenly had a pretty good idea of where he got it.

"Don't worry about it ma'am, he had my back too. He's a hell of a solider. Takes a lot of guts to bring a knife to a gunfight."

Granger briefly looked alarmed at Jack's knowing tone, but she gave a small smile and a nod when she saw his own grin. She padded off to where Tice was sitting. Jack leaned back with a groan and looked around. The scene was a madhouse, as ZIA agents and analysts scurried all around the warehouse and off the distance, blue and red lights flashed as the ZPD roadblock turned into a full-fledged containment operation. He looked off to the side and saw Judy ringed in by Nick, Wolfard and Chief Bogo next to the ZIA SUV.

"Should we go talk to Judy?" He asked Skye.

"Not tonight." She said after a pause. "All this is still too fresh, she should be with Nick tonight."

Jack raised an eyebrow at her, looking skeptical.

"Nick told me they weren't together." He said. Skye looked back at him with a look.

"Judy told me the same thing. You actually believed him?"

"Hell no." Jack chuckled. "They'll figure it out sooner or later."

"Course they will. Us foxes are impossible to resist for long." She said, getting another laugh out of him. The two agents settled into silence, trying to let the laugh last. But something was bothering Jack, something besides the two agents he had lost tonight. He thought back to when they breached the warehouse and literally every mammal started firing at once. _How were they so ready for us?_ He question. He was going to keep quiet about it for now, but he couldn't help feeling a sick, gnawing suspicion in his stomach.

 **XXXXXXXX**

"Good work tonight." Granger said with no preamble as she walked up to Tice. The coyote sat up, looking at his new commanding officer from the high tailgate of the truck.

"Thanks. Course, it's all thanks to you, really. I think this belongs to you?" He said, holding the knife out to her so only she could see it.

"Keep it. You've gotten more use out of it than I ever will." She said, folding his paw gently around the blade. Tice pulled his paw back and slipped the knife into his pocket.

"So...what now?" He asked, looking around nervously. He wasn't in handcuffs and no one had tried to arrest him, but he didn't feel like he could just go home. And anyways, the rundown hellhole of an apartment he had lived in wasn't where he wanted to be, but he didn't want to spend another night in the ZIA holding cells.

"Well...I'm assuming Stagg will want to debrief us at some point. Then...we continue on with the mission. I think we both know this is far from over."

Tice nodded grimly at that. Saber might be dead, but he was only a small piece of the picture. The rest of the task force was out there somewhere, and tonight had most likely only made them more aggressive, if anything.

"As for tonight...I suppose you'll have to stay with me." Granger said simply. Tice recoiled with surprise, looking nervously at the ocelot.

"Stay...with you ma'am?" He asked.

"Yes, the MMF set me up in a hotel here in the city. The room is a double, so I have an extra bed. You're a free mammal now Tice, not a wanted fugitive. I'm not going to have one of my soldiers sleeping on the streets or in the ZIA hiding cells while I'm ordering room service."

Tice stared at her, openly shocked, and the Lieutenant laughed lightly at the look on his face.

"Oh cut it out, McCoy. I've been a solider for five years, I've spent plenty of time sharing barracks and field tents."

Tice wiped the look off his face and tried to look professional.

"Very well ma'am." He answered seriously.

"Hey, bring it in!" A voice cried from behind the other truck.

"Come on, that should be Stagg with the after-action report."

Tice hopped down off the truck and followed behind Granger as they walked up to a large semi-circle of mammals around Director Stagg, who stood bathed in the glow of a flood light. The director stood there, looking tired and drained before he spoke to the assembled mammals.

"Alright everyone, I'll keep this short since we're all exhausted. First of all, good work. Despite everything, I'm still going to chalk this mission up as a success. Forensics is still working the scene but initial reports are saying we just took hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of illegal, dangerous drugs and unregistered weapons off the streets. I'll take that any day. However." He paused, looking sadly at his assembled agents. "We all know tonight had a heavy price. I suggest you all go home tonight and have a drink of your best stuff for Hendricks and Jefferson, and keep Hornsby in your thoughts. For those of you who it pertains to, we'll have a full debrief the day after tomorrow. Okay, that's it, get to the office and ditch your gear, then get home."

The crowd slowly dispersed, the ZIA agents beginning to pile into the fleet of SUVs that showed up for them. Tice and the Lieutenant hopped into Staggs's vehicle, the buck having grudgingly agreed to take them to the hotel. The soldiers had reached an uneasy agreement with the ZIA for the agency to retain custody of their weapons and gear, on the condition that no one but the Director and Assistant Director could access it.

Skye and Jack swung by the ZPD cruiser that Bogo had come in, catching Nick before he could close the door.

"Hey, Just give all that ZIA gear to us. No reason for you all to go back there." Skye said.

Nick disappeared into the cruiser and came back a minute later struggling under a mountain of Kevlar vests. He passed the bundle to Skye, before coming back and carefully handing Jack the three unloaded pistols in thier holsters. He started to close the door when Skye caught it with a paw, holding it open. She glanced in and saw Judy curled into a ball against the far door and her heart sank. She gave Nick a sad, serious look.

"Hey...you take care of her, okay?"

Nick nodded seriously, hopping in and shutting the door.

The mood inside the cruiser was tense, to say the least. All the officers had already been told what had happened, and Wolfard and Bogo had both tried to comfort Judy with middling results. She had stopped crying at least, but now she just slumped against Nick, a blank look on her face.

"Where would you like to go?" Bogo asked quietly.

"Just take me home." Judy croaked. Bogo nodded silently, glancing darkly at Wolfard in the passenger seat as the cruiser took off down the cold pavement. The ride remained silent as Bogo cruised down the nearly deserted city streets. The frost on the windows melted as he passed from the frigid streets of Tundratown into the more temperate Savannah Central. Nick gently rubbed Judy's back, feeling her slow breathing and silently dreaded the conversation he was sure was going follow. He felt bad for thinking that way, of course. It's not that he didn't _want_ to help Judy, but he just didn't know what to say. In all his shady, criminal dealings in the past, he had never taken a life, never even come close. He sighed as he caught sight of the Grand Pangolin Arms ahead of them. _Here we go_ he thought.

The cruiser rolled to a stop and Wolfard hopped out, opening the back door to let them out of the cruiser. Nick wordlessly followed her out onto the sidewalk and waved as the cruiser pulled off. He looked forward again and found Judy standing on the second step up of her porch, facing away from him.

"Nick..." Judy whispered.

"Yeah?" He answered, taking a cautious step forward.

"I...I think you should go home. I think I want to be alone tonight."

Nick recoiled, confused.

"What? Carrots...why?" He asked softly. His heart ached as he noticed her shoulders starting to hitch with tears.

"I just...I don't know Nick! Just go!" She cried, taking another step up the porch. Nick took another few steps closer, cutting down the distance bewteen the two of them.

"Carrots...Judy I can't leave you like this..." Nick said slowly.

"Why not? This is my fault anyways!" Judy exploded, turning on Nick with tears in her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Nick asked, taken aback.

"They were running Nick. They were running away. And I...I shot one of them in the fucking _back_ Nick!" She sobbed, her tears falling freely now.

"Judy he was shooting at you!" Nick reasoned.

"I don't care!" Judy yelled, her voice cracking.

Nick stepped forward, trying to take one of Judy's paws but she pulled away, pointing a finger at him.

"No! Don't do that Nick, I don't deserve it!" Judy pulled on her ears, feeling like her whole world was falling apart. The only feeling she could compare this to was after the press conference, when she felt like she ruined the lives of all those predators, but this was miles worse than that. She _killed_ someone tonight.

"What are you saying? What don't you deserve?" Nick said looking hurt.

"I don't deserve...this! You, Nick! I don't deserve to have you come give me a hug and tell me everything's alright because _it's not!"_ Judy collapsed backwards onto the top step, covering her eyes with her paws.

"Bullshit."

Nick said it so quiet Judy almost didn't catch it. She looked up at him, confusion in her teary eyes. Nick almost looked surprised at himself for saying it.

"What?" Judy whispered. Nick suddenly shook his head and looked almost...angry as he looked back at her.

"I said that's bullshit. You don't get to decide that."

Judy was shocked. Nick swore often enough but never at her. She was about to answer back before Nick rolled right over her.

"You listen to me Judy Hopps. You do not get to tell me you don't deserve it because you fucking do. I already decided that, a long time ago. You are the single most _amazing_ mammal I have ever met. You took me, a worthless, lowlife Fox, hell bent on living like a scumbag hustler until he died an early death, and you turned me into a cop. A good mammal, someone who was _worth_ something, And you did it just to do it. You saved me Judy. So don't you say that to me ever again. I love you Judy, and don't _ever_ try to tell me you don't deserve it."

Nick finally stopped, his shoulders heaving with emotion. Instantly, he started to regret what he said. Here was a mammal he loved dearly, hurting in a way Nick didn't even understand and he was yelling at her. He opened his mouth to apologize but was cut short as Judy jumped up and slammed a kiss onto his muzzle.

Judy grabbed at the back of Nick's neck, fiercely holding him still so she could kiss him. He tensed up for a second before giving in, kissing her back deeply. Her emotions rolled inside of her as the kiss continued. She was still hurting, so badly, but in that moment she just knew that she needed Nick. She thought back to when she first realized how badly she needed him, when she thought that it was just a friend supporting a friend, and she realized how wrong she was. She didn't even stop to wonder if Nick felt the same way. In that moment, she couldn't care. Finally she broke the kiss off, leaning her head against Nick's chest.

"God...you dumb, stupid...wonderful fox. I love you too." She whispered through her tears. Nick was stunned, but he had enough sense to wrap his arms around her and pull her close, his paw behind her head. She was still crying, but it was slower as she took comfort from Nick. She pulled back and looked up at him, drying her eyes with one paw. Nick looked back, his face stuck somewhere between a nervous grin and sheer terror. Suddenly, Judy's fear won out and she felt awkward and stupid. _Who just kisses someone in a moment like this?_ She thought.

"I'm...sorry Nick, that was...there's just so much in my head right now, I just..."

"Oh shut up." Nick said, grabbing her chin and pulling her up for another kiss. Judy gave a tiny noise of surprise before eagerly kissing him back. Nick broke the kiss off this time and rested his forehead against Judy's.

"Dumb bunny." He whispered. Judy managed a tiny laugh and a watery smile as Nick looked down at her. He pulled her close again and hugged her fiercely.

"So...do you still want me to go?" Nick asked from over Judy's head.

"No." She said flatly, her voice muffled from her pressing her face into his shirt. Nick smiled dumbly, rubbing her back.

"Good. Lead the way, Judy."

Judy pulled back, holding onto Nick's paw as she turned and headed up to the door to the apartment. Nick was happily led along behind her, grinning like an idiot. _Well, that went better than anticipated_ he thought giddily. As Judy unlocked the front door, she was stuck in her own thoughts, most importantly about a conversation she might be having with Skye sometime soon.

 **Author's Notes**

 **So there's our long, hectic chapter nine completed. I hope this wasn't too long and didn't cram too much in, but there was a lot I wanted to get into this chapter. Also, there it is for all you shippers. I know I've been hinting and hyping like hell since the story started, so I figured it was time to stop beating around the bush. That being said, I wanna say it again that I'm not a smut writer. I can narrate the shit out of a firefight but I'm just not cut out for Rabbit/Fox sex scenes. Sorry to disappoint if that's what you're after. Anyways, I don't think there's any military crap to explain so I'll keep this short. Thank you so much for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter as Nick and Judy both work to process the events of the raid and Tice gets to know his new commanding officer. Hope y'all enjoy!**


	10. Chapter 10

Judy woke up slow, groaning as her muscles cramped. She scrunched up her eyes as her stiff limbs unfurled. _I need a bigger bed...and probably a bigger apartment_ she thought. Sharing a bed with Nick certainly didn't leave much room for her, and she had been curled into a tight ball all night to avoid falling off the edge. Suddenly her eyes shot open as that processed. _Nick!_ She thought, shooting up in bed and looking over at the Fox still curled in bed next to her. Her mind raced as she thought about what happened on the mission, but more importantly, what had happened on her front step.

 _I kissed Nick._ The thought bounced around in her mind, making her pulse race. _But...he also kissed me back._ She rolled off of her bed and silently padded over to her desk and dropped down into the chair, thinking. She hadn't had any time to really think about it last night. The two had come upstairs and changed out of thier uniforms and pretty much immediately passed out. Now, in the morning light, Judy wasn't sure how to handle all this new information, but still...she couldn't find it in herself to regret it. After all Nick said, and after the way he had kissed her right back...there was no way that could've been a mistake right? Still, she couldn't stop her heart from racing when she looked over at Nick's slumbering form. _I need some air._ She scooped her phone up off her desk and checked her outfit in her tiny mirror. Her ZPD sweats and faded, wrinkled Bunnyborrow High track team shirt wouldn't do for going out, but for this it should be fine. She slipped silently out of her apartment and made the quick trip down to the front stoop of her apartment, dropping down on the top step.

The day had already started for most of the city's mammals, the sun shining down on a brisk autumn day. Judy checked her phone and saw that it was already just past nine in the morning. She placed the phone down and watched the light mid-morning traffic roll by. She had just started to relax when her phone buzzed next to her. She picked it up and saw Bogo's name on the screen. She groaned but still clicked the answer button, bringing the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hopps...how are you feeling?" Bogo asked, sounding uncharacteristically gentle.

"I'm fine." Judy said, lying just a little bit. She still felt like hell after last night, but she was managing.

"That's good to hear." Bogo said, apparently deciding that was as good an answer as he was going to get. "Hopps...I was calling just to let you know that...concerning last night, there will be no reprocussions. It was part of a ZIA operation, outside of the ZPD's jurisdiction, and the ZIA already declared it a justified shooting. From a legal standpoint, you're fully cleared of any wrongdoing."

Judy flinched at the chief's words. 'Justified shooting', 'cleared of any wrongdoing'. The words sounded hollow as she was reminded of exactly what she did.

"That's...that's good. Thank you sir." She answered, hiding her feelings.

"Hopps...Judy. I understand last night must be overwhelming for you. You made...the hardest decision a ZPD Officer can ever be asked to make, believe me, I know. I just wanted to say, if you need anything, even just to talk...my phone line is open."

Judy was stunned for a moment, both at the Chief using her first name, and at his somewhat off-hand confession. She knew the city was a much more dangerous place when the Chief was a beat cop, but she never knew that Bogo had ever had to shoot a suspect.

"Thank you sir. I appreciate that." She replied seriously.

"Don't mention it. Anyways, enjoy your day. I'll see you tomorrow at the ZIA debrief."

Judy chuckled a bit as she heard the line click dead before she could even say goodbye. _Typical Bogo_ she mused as she traced a finger across her screen, thinking. The chief's words had made her think of something from yesterday. _Someone to talk to..._ she thought, before clicking her contacts and typing a new message to Skye.

'Hey' she sent simply, not sure how to start off. The reply was almost immediate.

'Hey Judy! How are you doing?' She could almost hear the vixen's bright, bubbly tone through the phone.

'A little Better, you?' She answered truthfully.

'Could be worse. Got an earful from Stagg last night about a certain stripey buck.' Judy cringed at that. She had been vaguely aware of Skye and Jack openly embracing last night and then a tense-looking conversation with Stagg afterwards.

'Darn. Sorry to hear that. Will you be getting more heat from him today?' She asked.

'Nope. We've got the day off too, and it's nothing some champagne, orange juice, and good food can't fix.'

'What?' Judy sent back. She was racking her brain, thinking of any kind of combination of those three things but she was drawing a blank.

'Brunch?' Skye sent back. This didn't answer much for Judy, but she at least knew what brunch was.

'Oh.' She sent back, not sure what to say. She had a vague idea going into this of what she wanted to talk to Skye about, but now she had no idea how to get into it over text. Thankfully, Skye saved her from trying to come up with something.

'Meet me at 1030 at the Broken Yolk. You bring your fox, I'll bring my hare. Deal?" She asked, following it with a emoticon of a winking fox. Judy laughed at the tiny cartoon and considered the deal. She knew the Broken Yolk, it was a decently swanky cafe in the Rainforest District. Finally, she decided some breakfast would do her good, and it would be a perfect chance to talk to Skye. And plus, if she could drink beer with Nick in the morning, she couldn't see any reason why she couldn't switch that out for champagne.

'Deal.' She sent back, adding on a tiny, winking rabbit. She jumped up from the step, already feeling a tiny bit better. She headed back inside the building, bound for her apartment. If she was going to make it on time, with her notoriously anti-morning fox in tow, she had no time to waste.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Judy and Nick relaxed in the comfy chairs across from Skye and Jack. Judy was definitely relieved her and Nick had changed out of thier dumpy sleeping clothes to come here, they would have most definitely been underdressed. The trendy cafe was really one of the nicer places in the Rainforest, set on the ground level next to the river that lazily wound its way through the district. The atmosphere was typical for the area, rustic and simple with visible wood and vines creeping along the rafters and low, simple tables ringed with comfortable chairs. The dining area was covered on three sides, but the side facing the river was open, with a pretty artificial pool that bubbled over a tiny waterfall into the natural river. Judy had heard of the place, but never eaten there, and she already loved it.

"This place is so great!" She said earnestly to Skye.

"Just wait til you try the food." She said back with a grin. Judy smiled at her, folding her paws in her lap.

"Thanks for inviting us out here, you two." Nick said.

"No problem, just keep it a secret. Wouldn't want the place to get too crowded." Jack said jokingly. It was the middle of the week, and the place was almost deserted besides a few other groups in other sections. A cheery looking alpaca wandered over to thier table, holding a notepad in his hoofed paw.

"Hey there guys. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Yeah, me and her will have some mimosas, and keep them coming." Skye said, giving Judy a wink. Judy smiled back, still not sure exactly what it was she would be drinking.

"And me and him are gonna have some male-mosas." Jack said, pointing towards himself and Nick. The waiter gave Jack a small smile before hustling off while Skye rolled her eyes.

"Jack, when are you going to get sick of making that joke? You can ditch your fragile male ego and just order mimosas like the rest of us, I promise they'll come out exactly the same!"

"I can taste the difference!" Jack said, giving her a smug smile. Skye made an annoyed noise.

"One of these days I'm going to order one for myself." She said in a warning tone.

"You couldn't handle one!" Jack said, giving her a serious look. All four laughed at the friendly ribbing, picking up thier menus as they continued bantering. Judy was happy that so far, everyone was acting normal. She was worried that everyone would've been treating her with kid-gloves, acting like she would break at any second, but everyone here was just treating her like a friend. The waiter came back with thier drinks and they all placed their orders. Skye immediately grabbed the tall, thin glass the alpaca had left her and raised it up.

"Cheers everyone!" She said brightly, prompting the others to mimic her, clinking thier glasses together before they all took a sip. As Nick took a hefty swig of his, he nearly choked as the drink burned its way down his throat. He brought it back down, looking at the others for a reaction, but was confused when no one was acting like him. Finally he caught Jack's eye. The hare was giving him a pointed look, which very clearly said _Just go with it._ Nick carefully placed the glass down, giving it a cautious glare. _That, is most definitely_ not _a mimosa_ he decided.

Judy on the other hand, was thrilled with her drink. She took a tiny, cautious sip at first but then squeaked in surprise and took a bigger gulp. The drink was light and bubbly, mostly orange juice but with a tangy, pleasantly sour aftertaste.

"What is this?" She turned excitedly to Skye, who gave her an amused look.

"It's a mimosa, king of the morning drinks. It's just orange juice and champagne. You mean to tell me this is the first time you've had one?"

Judy gave a shy nod, suddenly embarrassed at her apparently monumental ignorance. Skye laughed brightly, patting her on the paw.

"Well, let me be the first to welcome you to the world of refined morning drinking."

Judy laughed and took another sip of her drink. The group started talking again, discussing various harmless topics until the food came, and all talk briefly stopped. Skye certainly wasn't fibbing; the food was beyond good. Nick and Skye both devoured steaming skillets of rice, egg and turkey sausages while Judy dug into a mixed-veggie hash that Skye had recommended. Judy took a break from cleaning her own plate to glance at Jack's and was shocked to see the hare carefully sneaking a bite of sausage out of Skye's skillet. He quickly gobbled up the greasy morsel, but not before he caught Judy's incredulous look. He swallowed the bite, trying and failing to not look guilty.

"What? A guy can't enjoy his breakfast?" He said pleadingly.

"Jack! You just ate meat! You're a rabbit, and you just ate _meat!_ " Judy spluttered, wide eyed. Skye laughed.

"Judy, he's a _hare,_ and he's also a highly trained covert operative. I'm surprised anything he does shocks you."

"Still, I didn't think hares even _could_ eat meat." Nick butted in.

"We really can't, not in large quantities at least but I tried it once on a dare in the academy and well...I kinda got a taste for it I guess. Don't judge me, alright!" He finished, pointing a finger at the two officers, who both waved off the hare's concern. Everyone laughed, settling back from thier food. Judy was feeling good, her full belly and at least a couple mimosas giving her a sense of contentment and a slight buzz. Then Skye caught her eye and gave her a look. She sat forward and quickly scooped some of the leftover rice off her plate into a napkin and stood, grabbing her by the shoulder.

"Come on Judy, let's leave the boys to thier _male-mosas."_

Judy stood up, a little bewildered, and followed Skye away towards the pond by the river, leaving Jack and Nick at the table. There was a brief silence as the two watched the females walk away, and then Nick leaned forward and grabbed his glass. He held it in the air, raising an eyebrow at Jack.

" _Male-mosas?"_ He asked pointedly. Jack laughed and nodded, taking a sip from his own drink.

"Yeah, about that. I ordered it like that as a joke the first time Skye talked me into getting one. Turns out when you ask for a male-mosa, they bring you a regular one, just loaded with vodka."

Nick laughed heartily at the hare's confession. No wonder the drink had tasted so strong. He took another sip of his own, feeling a little more than a buzz as he reached the bottom of his second spiked cocktail. He leaned back in his chair and gave his best impression of Jack from the day before.

"So. You and Skye, huh?"

The hare snorted a laugh and shook his head.

"Yeah, me and Skye. Judy told me you two spotted us in the elevator that day. You foxes and your damn tails, I swear to god."

"Hey! Don't you disparage all the honorable Fox tails of the world." Nick chided jokingly. "Judy told me you two might have caught some hell from Director Stagg about it?"

"Yeah." Jack said with a frown. "We got a pretty good ass-chewing when we got back to the ZIA. He threatened to split us up, transfer us, the works. He won't follow through with that, but I am expecting some kind of bullshit to come out of this." Nick gave him a sympathetic look.

"So...how did you two start?" He asked cautiously, thinking back to his night before with Judy.

"Shit...must've started about...three years back now? Maybe four? I don't know, it's hard to keep track sometimes. We were partners back then, and then we got close and things just took off. I think maybe you can understand that." He finished giving Nick a cheeky smirk.

"Yeah...about that." Nick said with an embarrassed grin.

"What? Spill the beans, fox! I'm a master interrogator, I'll break you if I have to!" Jack said, starting to rise out of his seat. Nick raised his paws in a defensive manner, laughing at the aggressive little hare.

"Alright, easy pal, I give! I mean...I'm not sure what it was, or is maybe, but...I went to Judy's place last night and-"

"No! You didn't, you smooth operator!" Jack burst out, grinning like an idiot.

"No! I didn't, I mean _we_ didn't. Last night wasn't exactly a romantic setting, dude."

"Oh...yeah, right. I'm sorry." Jack said, deflating back into his chair.

"But..." Nick trailed off.

"But...what?" Jack asked, looking hopeful.

"Well...we went to her place and she was upset, obviously. We talked and then...we actually _argued_ and then...she kissed me. And then I kissed her. And then we went to bed." Nick finished, looking flustered as he picked at the wooden table. He looked up and saw Jack giving him a goofy, happy smile.

"Well shit, Nick. That's actually really nice. So, you two are together now?"

"That's the thing!" Nick said sounding exasperated. "We didn't talk about it at all this morning and I mean, there was so much shit going on last night, maybe she just did it without thinking and now she thinks it's a mistake?"

"No...I don't think so. I see the way she looks at you. Yeah, she's hurting right now, she definitely needs someone, but I think that any day of the week, that someone is going to be you. And I'm guessing you want her right? You love her?" Nick nodded at that. "Then don't run from this. I'm guessing in the past you've been scared of showing her, but now it's too late for all that. Just be there for her, love her as best you can and hold on as long as you can."

Nick looked back at Jack silently, a little surprised, but touched by the words from the tough little hare. He started to maybe see a little bit of what Skye saw in him. The two settled into a comfortable silence, but something was nagging at Nick. Finally, he nervously tried to pose the subject to Jack.

"Hey Jack, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah of course." Jack said casually, sipping his drink.

"You must've killed mammals before right?"

Jack froze, the glass still against his lips. He slowly put the glass down and turned towards Nick with a dark, angry look on his face.

"Yeah, I have. Why? You want to know what it's like? How it feels when you kill someone? You think I can explain that to you?"

Nick recoiled at the venom in Jack's voice, realizing too late how sensitive of a subject he must be asking about. He backpedaled, trying to save the conversation.

"No! I mean...I don't want you to explain all that. I just want to know if Judy's going to be okay."

Nick's voice was weak and soft by the end of his sentence, and Jack inwardly cursed himself as his anger seeped away. He sighed and took another long, deep drink, finishing the cup and wiping his mouth when he finished. He collected his thoughts for a second before answering.

"I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have snapped at you, it's just a lot of mammals find out what I do and they want to ask things like that. They think this is all like, some action movie. Like I say some snappy line before I pull the trigger every time, or they act like it's some kind of thrill to take a life. I shouldn't have assumed you're like that, I know, but I guess I just get defensive. And to answer your question," he looked up, meeting Nick's eyes with a somber gaze, "Yeah, she'll be okay. Not all at once, Not today, and maybe not tomorrow but she seems like a strong mammal. Honestly, it would be more concerning if it didn't bother her. Just give her time."

Jack finished and stared down at the table, looking a little drained. The waiter approached thier table, looking at the empty plates and glasses.

"Can I get you guys anything else?" He asked.

Nick looked at Jack, who looked back at him before glancing at Nick's nearly empty drink. He gave Nick a conspiratational look and a smirk, apparently ditching his somber mood.

"Hey, wanna see how lit we can get before Judy and Skye come back?"

Nick barked a laugh. He couldn't believe the smaller hare was keeping up with him, but he was glad that Jack was at least willing to kill the somber mood. He nodded, and Jack turned back to the waiter with a wild look.

"Yeah, could we get two more male-mosas? Make them doubles please."

The waiter looked concerned, pausing with his pen over his notepad.

"Ah, actually sir, we already make that cocktail with a double shot."

Jack looked back at the alpaca with a steely gaze.

"I know what I'm about, dude. Just double it."

Nick laughed out loud as the alpaca turned and quickly hustled back to the kitchen. _Crazy god damn rabbit,_ he thought as he signaled to the bartender for yet another round.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Judy followed Skye as she walked up to the low stone wall edging the pond. The pond really was pretty, with bright green lily pads floating sprouting white flowers and brightly colored koi fish darting around beneath the water. There were a few ducks floating around as well, and one beautiful white swan. Judy failed to fully appreciate the scene as a gnawing dread formed in her stomach.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Judy asked, feeling like she already knew. Skye took a deep breath, still facing away from Judy as she asked.

"How are you doing Judy? Really?"

Judy immediately felt a weight drop on her heart as her mood crumbled. She hadn't been faking her good mood all morning, but it had been more like a fragile barrier between her and the hurt she felt. Like an emotional hammer, Skye's words shattered that barrier and Judy felt her lip start to tremble.

"I don't know." She croaked, leaning on the wall. "I feel better than last night but...I just can't stop thinking about it. When we're talking and laughing it goes away but the second I step back for a second I just see it all playing over again in my head." Judy stopped, shaking her head as tears started to well up. Skye slowly reached over and put an arm over the emotional bunny and pulled her close against her side. Judy's shoulders hitched as she held back sobs.

"Isn't this where you say something?" Judy croaked, noting the vixen's silence. "Where you tell me how it wasn't my fault, that it was self defense? Or give me some sage advice from a wise warrior?"

Skye didn't answer right away, instead she reached down and unfolded the napkin she had put on the ledge and grabbed a pinch of rice. She threw the grains into the water and watched as the koi fish scrambled for it, racing against the ducks floating on the surface. Finally, she spoke to Judy in a soft, gentle tone.

"Would it make a difference if I told you any of those things?"

Judy shook her head, not quite trusting herself to answer with words at the moment.

"I know." Skye continued, "I've been through this same thing, and I know, so I won't bother saying it. Believe me, I'm thinking it, but I won't say it. Truth be told Judy, I want _you_ to say what _you_ need to."

"What do you mean?" Judy asked, looking up at her with confusion.

"Exactly what I said. Judy, there's no magical words I can say to make you feel better. You have to forgive yourself, that's on you, but that'll never happen if you bottle it up. So say what you need to say."

Judy faltered, looking out over the river. She remembered ranting at Nick last night, but she hadn't been thinking clearly then, she had just been raging. Now she tried to collect her thoughts so she could present them clearly.

"I just...I feel like a failure. Like there was so much I could've done different. I mean, I knew when I took that gun that there was a chance, however slim that I would have to use it but I never thought it would be like that. There wasn't any justice in that. I shot a mammal in the back as he was running away. I could've chased him down, could've tranqed him, hell, I could've just let him go, but I shot him. And yeah, he was shooting at me, but that still doesn't make it justice. And even if it was...what gives me the right? To decide my life is worth more and just take his away? I don't even know his name, I never even saw his face! I just...I wish there could've been a different way." Judy finished, tears flowing as she leaned her head against Skye. She felt the vixen nod her head somewhere above her.

"Okay, good. Now do you want me to explain how you're wrong? How you did nothing wrong and he forced you into action?"

Judy sniffled as she shook her head.

"I figured you wouldn't. Now, the rest is up to you. Like I said, you need to see that on your own and forgive yourself. It'll take time, but I'll be there for you, and so will Nick, and even Jack in his own weird, macho way."

Judy managed a tiny laugh as she imagined the stoic hare giving her an awkward pat on the head. The two were silent for a moment before Judy looked up at Skye.

"Does it get easier?"

"Killing?" Skye thought for a second, looking pained as she answered. "Yeah. It does. God, it really fucking shouldn't, but it does." Judy swallowed hard at her morbid answer before trying another question.

"Were you this bad? The first time you...you know."

"Oh god no. I was way worse." Skye said. She eased off of Judy to sit lightly on top of the wall, throwing more rice into the water. "Me and Jack were just partners, back then. It was four years ago and I was a 22 year-old, bright eyed and bushy tailed rookie agent out on my first mission. Jack had been in for a couple years so he was taking the lead. We were after this wolf, Boris Skarlov, a real peice of work arms dealer from northern Sibearia. Jack was posing as a buyer and I was there for sniper support. The meeting went good for a little while, but somehow Boris blew Jack's cover and he gave me the signal. I took the shot. God, I still remember that wolf's ugly mug, I had him in my sights for probably ten minutes." Skye paused, looking off somewhere in the distance before she laughed quietly to herself.

"I was a damn wreck afterwards. I was crying before we even made it back to the safe house, didn't stop until we met up with our pick-up team the next day. And the worst part was, I was such a _bitch_ to Jack. I blamed him for the whole thing, I thought it was his fault that his cover got blown, and I told him that, frequently and very eloquently. He just took it, the whole time. Then, he actually took me here when we got back." Judy looked up, a little shocked. She suddenly appreciated the cafe a little more.

"He practically had to drag me here, but I came anyways. And when we got here, he didn't say a damn thing about the mission, he just talked to me. And when we finished lunch, he took me over to this very same wall and kept talking." She laughed again, thinking back to that day. "I remember he kept buying drinks so the waiter wouldn't kick us out, even though he started just pouring them into the pond after the third or fourth. Finally the manager came and told us the place was closing, and unless we wanted to start cleaning tables, we had to go. That's when I realized that the whole day, I hadn't thought about pulling the trigger once. I was so grateful to that stupid bunny..."

"What happened then?" Judy asked, still sniffling a little.

"What do you think happened? I kissed him in the parking lot, then took him back to my place and screwed his little bunny brains out."

Judy coughed and sputtered as she laughed through her tears.

"Skye! Oh my god!" She cried, still laughing as she playfully shoved the vixen. Skye was laughing too as she pushed Judy back.

"What? What else was I supposed to do? Here's this handsome, dashing hare, who takes me out to lunch and talks all my problems away, even after I bitched him out for a whole six hour flight back to Zootopia. I think I had a very appropriate response!"

Judy laughed, grudgingly nodding along in agreement. She glanced over her shoulder, back to the table and saw Nick and Jack laughing as they raised thier glasses to each other.

"Thinking about him?" Skye said, as if reading her mind. Judy didn't even try to argue as she shrugged and turned back to Skye.

"Yeah. I'm just so glad I have him I guess." Judy said, sounding thoughtful.

"You know...you should make sure you let him know. I'm not saying to go hopping into bed with him, but Nick seems like a really great guy. I wouldn't let that get away if I was you."

Judy managed a weak, nervous smile as she looked back up at Skye.

"Well...I may have sort of let him know last night. I mean, I kissed him. And he did kiss back."

Skye lit up, a wide smile splitting her face.

"Judy! Oh I'm so happy you two finally figured it out. God, me and Jack were about to start taking bets on when you two would finally be with each other."

"Well I mean, we're not like, official or anything." Judy stammered. "It was just a kiss."

"Judy. Honey. If you two lovebirds don't _make it_ official by the end of the day, I swear, I will set him up on a date with Dakembe."

"Okay!" Judy laughed. "Jeez, I didn't know you were my personal love counselor."

"Oh, so you _do_ love him!" Skye said, wiggling her eyebrows at her.

"Yes, Okay! So shut up." Judy said playfully, crossing her arms. Skye made an excited squeak, throwing a hug around her.

"Okay, Okay, I'll let you handle it. Come on, we'd better go collect those two and pay up before they get too hammered." Skye said, pushing herself up off the ledge.

"Can they really even get that drunk off just champagne?" Judy asked, trailing behind her. Skye shot a playfully tired look over her shoulder at her.

"No, but those _male-mosas_ are loaded with vodka. That little goof still thinks I can't smell it on his breath every time we come here. Come on, let's go collect our booze-bags."

Judy laughed as the two males gave a rousing, slightly drunken sounding cheer as the two females returned to the table. She smiled as Nick gave a lazy, smug grin to her, and she chanced giving his paw a squeeze as she hopped back into her seat.

 _My dumb, drunken fox_ she thought warmly, briefly forgetting all her worries.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Tice basked in the night time glow of Sahara Square's upscale strip of hotels, sitting on a bench in front of his hotel. Well not really _his_ hotel, the room was under Lieutenant Granger's name and was certainly nicer than he could ever afford, but he was staying there so he was counting it. He was still trying to get used to the idea that he was sharing a room with his young, female and stunningly attractive commanding officer, but it didn't bother him _too_ much. He woke up late that morning and had found that the officer was already gone, so he left on his own and had a better day than he'd had in the past two years.

For the first time, he'd felt like he could walk around the city without imagining crosshairs on his head. Not just from Black Knight, who he knew was still out there, but from government entities like the MMF, the ZIA and all the other shadowy, three-latter agencies. He couldn't even count how many nightmares he'd had of being grabbed in his bed only to have a bag thrown over his head, and be hauled off to some dark hole in a prison without a name. But now, he wasn't hiding from that anymore. He didn't have to feel like a fugitive, he was working _with_ the good guys.

Tice had celebrated by treating himself for the first time in years. He had taken the couple grand he had managed to save over the years and went out on the town. He caught a movie, ate lunch out, and went and bought himself some brand new clothes from a real store, not goodwill. He had decided that all the stuff he had in his old apartment wasn't worth going back for. He didn't have any mementos, and the material possessions were easily replaced. As Tice sat on the bench, he fiddled around with his most prized new possesion; the smartphone that he had splurged on. It was at least a few models obsolete, and Tice had only gotten it loaded with prepaid minutes and data, but he was still fiercely proud of his new purchase. He pocketed the phone and looked up at the tall, gleaming hotel. He thought about the few hundred bucks he still had in his pocket and had a sudden inspiration, jumping off the bench and crossing the street into the hotel.

Music played from speakers hidden in the corners near the ceiling, as light conversation filled the bar. Tice adjusted the collar of the shirt he changed into after dropping his shopping bags in the room. This bar was certainly a far cry from the dives that he usually drank in, but that was kind of the point. He usually hid in the corner, sticking to the shadows and hoping no one noticed him, but not tonight. He tried not to think about how cliché it was to be drinking in a hotel bar alone as he walked up to the bar and dropped down onto a stool.

"Double of Johnnie Walker Black, neat." He said to the finely dressed panda behind the bar. The bartender nodded and poured the drink, placing the squat glass in front of Tice. He reached in his back pocket to get some cash, but a paw touched his elbow lightly, stopping him.

"Whatever he's getting, put it on my tab with a gin and tonic for me." Granger said as she slid her card across the bar. The bartender shrugged nonchalantly and took the card as Tice stared at his Lieutenant, dumbfounded.

"Ma'am! You don't have to do that, seriously."

"Oh take it easy, McCoy. The military is paying me a ridiculous per diem to be here. I'm more than happy to spend it if it means I can keep you from drinking alone. I mean, seriously? Whiskey straight, alone in a hotel bar? Could you _be_ more cliché?"

Tice grumbled under his breath as he sipped at his whiskey, causing Granger to laugh at his indignation. She nodded to the panda as he passed her a gin and tonic.

"Unless you were trying to catch someone's eye with that lonely, mysterious stranger thing you had going on. If that's the case I'll leave you to it." Granger took a sip of her drink, giving a subtle motion to the other side of the bar where Tice noticed a pretty looking female wolf stealing glances at them and looking put-out. He laughed quietly to himself, trying not to overtly stare at the wolf.

"No ma'am, I was not trying to take someone back to our _shared room."_ He said pointedly.

"I'm sure she has a room of her own here. You could go over there if you want." Granger said it seriously and calmly, but Tice could hear the hint of a playful challenge in her tone. He decided to play it back against her.

"No, I really think I'll pass on that. But, I'd feel bad if I didnt let you know that you're about to miss your own shot." Tice motioned towards the other end of the bar, where two males, a lion and a cheetah were shooting Tice obviously envious looks. Granger laughed out loud, getting pissed-off looks from the two felines as she spoke back a little too loudly.

"Those two? Come on, you really think I'm going to be interested in a couple of overgrown trust-fund babies here to blow daddy's money?"

Tice snorted, laughing as he saw the males puff up in indignation before turning back to their own drinks.

"So what did you come here for then? I don't see you meeting anyone, and you already busted my ass for drinking alone." He gave the ocelot a quick look up and down. She was certainly _dressed_ to meet someone, wearing a tight blue blouse and a black pencil skirt.

"I met you here didn't I?" Granger asked coyly before laughing at Tice's expression. "I'm just kidding, but really, I do need no talk to you."

"About what ma'am?" Tice asked, but looked confused as the Lieutenant flinched.

"Yeah...that's the thing, McCoy...Tice. You don't really need to keep calling me ma'am."

Tice narrowed his eyes at the officer, taking a sip of his drink before trying to keep his tone tactful as he replied.

"Oh...well ma'am, I understand our situation here is a little unusual but you're still a commissioned officer and I'm your soldier, it's really not right for me to call you...what would I even call you?"

"I don't know. My friends usually call me Charlie." Granger shrugged. "Tice...what I'm trying to tell you is that I'm not really your commanding officer. No one is...I may have somewhat stretched the truth with what I said back in the interrogation room."

"What are you saying?" Tice asked, eyes widening.

"You aren't a soldier anymore Tice." Granger spat out quickly. "Not as far as the MMF is concerned at least. You're officially listed as Killed in Action in Yakistan. And any soldier who receives a KIA designation also receives an honorable discharge and an official relief of duty from the MMF. It's mostly a ceremonial thing but, in your case, it is binding. So, you are officially a civilian. Congratulations, Tice."

Tice stared back at her for a long moment, his eyes wide and his paw locked on his whiskey. Then, without warning he threw his head back and let out a long, loud laugh. Granger looked on, mildly embarassed as Tice actually slapped the bar top, getting looks from some of the other patrons. Finally, he started to calm down until he devolved into tiny fits of giggles. He wiped his eyes and heaved a sigh, and then downed his whiskey in one swig. He pushed the glass towards the perturbed looking bartender and turned back to Granger as the panda refilled it.

"Well whoopde- _fucking_ -do. You know you might be the most insane officer I have _ever_ met. When were you planning on telling me?" He asked, looking amused.

"Tomorrow. I was going to let you get the debrief from Stagg and hear the full situation and the next steps of our plan before I gave you the choice."

Granger was deadly serious, maybe even a little miffed at Tice's outburst. He picked up on it, and wiped the smile off his face as he answered her.

"Choice? What choice?" He asked. Granger seemed to soften at his more serious tone and spoke quietly, rolling her drink in her paws.

"The choice of whether or not to keep helping us. Like I said before Tice, you're a free mammal and now you know exactly how free. I can't make you do a damn thing. And last night, after you could've _died_ following an order I didn't even have the authority to give...I couldn't even sleep, I was so disgusted with myself. So I'm giving you the choice. You can walk away, right now, tomorrow, whenever. I'll take the heat from Stagg and even the MMF if I have to but I won't keep you here."

She finished her speech and stared into the depths of her glass, looking distraught. Tice was stunned, but he managed to stammer out a response.

"Why?" He asked.

"Why? I already I said, you're a free mammal and-"

"No I mean...why _all_ of this?" Tice cut her off, gesturing wildly in the air. "Before yesterday I was nothing to you, just a name on a file, a lead in a case. But since we've met you've done nothing but stick your neck out for me. Why?"

Granger took a shaky breath and then fixed him with a sorrowful gaze.

"Because you deserve it Tice. I didn't just read your file, I dug and found mammals who served with you, guys who rotated out of your squad before the IED blast. You were a _hero_ Tice, to all of them. You saved lives on a god damn daily basis, besides the ones you got that silver star for. And what has the MMF, or even the Mammalian Sovereign given back to you? They threw you away, gave you to Panthera for him to use you like a tool, a weapon. And when that went south, you had to live like a criminal, hiding in your own city. You're a good mammal and you deserved so much more than this country ever gave you. So now you've got the chance to get out of here and go live however you want. No strings attached."

She stopped, looking at Tice as if she expected him to run, but Tice just sat there, thinking. What Granger said struck a chord in him. He had never really considered what he would do without the military. He was an orphan, raised as a ward of the state and had bounced around through half the city's schools. He had no family, no close friends to speak of. The military had been his life, his _family_ even, and it was all he was good at. But when he lost his squad, and then when he left Black Knight, he had nothing. But here, he had an opportunity, a chance to do good. And apparently, someone who cared enough about him to give him that chance.

"I'm not leaving." He said simply.

"What?" Granger asked, surprised. "Tice...you can leave, seriously. You don't owe anything to me, to the MMF, to anyone."

"I know, and I've decided I'm staying. You took a chance on me, I know you did. If you didn't stick your neck out, I'd either be in a ZIA cell or in some military prison, probably waiting on a court martial. So I'm staying, I'm seeing this out until the end."

Granger looked at him, looking cautiously optimistic.

"You will?" She leaned forward, spinning on her stool to face him. "If you are, we're working together now. I might ask you to do things, but they're not orders. You don't have to follow them but if you're willing...we still could use a mammal like you."

"Ma'am... _Charlie_ ," Tice corrected himself with a smirk, "I'm in, one-hundred percent. I'll follow you wherever you're headed. As far as I'm concerned, you're still the officer here. That's what they pay you the big money for right? So is it a deal?"

He stuck out a paw for a shake, and Charlie immediately returned it.

"It's a deal, Tice." She gave him a bright, warm smile. "Seal it with a drink?"

"Hell yes." Tice grinned, holding his glass out to her. She clicked hers against his, taking a sip as Tice slammed his. He signaled the panda for another one, getting a bemused look from Charlie. He laughed, resting his forearms against bar. _Oh yeah...new clothes, new phone, cleared name...pretty girl buying me drinks? Things are definitely looking up._ He mused to himself.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Night had fallen in Savannah Central as Nick and Judy walked down the street. Judy was tired, but in a good way; it turned out, Skye's plans hadn't ended with brunch. First, they had dragged their two decently inebriated males around a tour of the rainforest district until they were presentablely sober, although Jack had complained that the ground was spinning beneath them when they took the sky tram. Judy had made sure to slide closer to Nick during that as the four mammals crammed into the tiny car, and was pleased when Nick had snaked an arm around her, supposedly to 'save some shoulder room'. The four had then just wandered the city, exploring Tundratown for as long as the biting cold would let them and braved the scorching heat in Sahara Square to get a bird's eye view of the city from the famous Palm Hotel. All in all, Judy felt like she had seen more of the city in a day than she had in the whole rest of her off-duty time in the past year. Now, after saying their goodbyes to Jack and Skye, the two walked down the street, discussing how much the two had enjoyed the vixen and hare's company.

"I can't believe Jack was already an agent when he was 21." Judy wondered aloud. It was true; Jack was not only the agency's first hare, he was also their youngest agent. Skye was a close second, passing the academy at 22, and also being the first of her species. Apparently, the ZIA didn't have the same restrictions on applications as the ZPD. They didn't even require a criminal justice degree. As Jack put it, if you had what it took to pass the academy, you were in.

"I know." Nick answered, "And I cant believe that hare kept up with me on drinks! I mean, I get that he's like, six years younger than me, but he's half my size!" Nick lamented, shaking his head. Truth be told, he felt the hare had probably gotten the better of him in that respect. Jack had easily drank as much as him and looked no worse for it, while Nick was already trying to ignore the faint throbbing behind his eyes. He was just as tired as Judy, and was honestly a little excited to see the front step of his apartment. He stopped on the front step and turned towards Judy, suddenly feeling awkward.

"So...here we are!" He said, throwing his arms out. _God damn, what was that?_ He cringed as he dropped his arms back to his sides. Judy looked up at him strangely and his mind raced, trying to find something to say. He knew that usually he would find the right words, but what Jack said earlier was still ringing in his head. He didn't want to run from this, but at the same time, he wasn't exactly sure how to run _towards_ it.

"So..." he blanked. What was wrong with him? He had been a con-artist for literally more than half of his life, how was he at a loss for words _now?_ Finally he just decided to wing it.

"So...after Blues the other night you joked about it being our first date. Does that make today our second?" He tried to put on his best smug grin, but even he could tell his calm exterior was cracking. He was sure Judy could see the fear in his eyes as she looked up at him.

And he would be right in assuming that. Judy definitely saw the fear there, but she totally misread it. _Oh god. Here we are, back at his apartment, and he's terrified I'm going to jump him with another kiss! Look at him, he's practically shaking!_ On the outside, Judy gave a totally obvious fake laugh and tried to play it cool.

"Ha! Yeah, I guess you could call it that."

Nick's heart was racing in his chest as he processed that. _Okay, okay that worked. Sort of. Keep it cool Nick, ride this out._

"So...how did this one go? You know...compared to the first one and...dates in general, I guess?"

Judy looked up at Nick, trying so hard to keep her nose from twitching from her nerves. _Okay where is he going with this? Just keep calm Jude. It's just Nick for God's sake!_ She chanced a step closer, stepping just inside of what would be normal for talking. Then she caught a whiff of Nick and her racing heart slowed a little as the familiar scent of musk and pine calmed her. She looked up at Nick differently now, her eyes wide, taking in every inch of his thick red fur and bright green eyes.

"It was perfect." She said softly, as if in a trance. Nick's eyes shot even wider as she leaned in, looking up at him. His heart was practically beating out of his chest as her violet eyes stared up at him. His con-artist charm completely abandoned him as a new set of instincts took over. _Fuck it._ He thought.

"Judy, do you want to stay with me tonight?" He said, sliding a paw around her waist to pull her close and eliminate all the distance between them.

"God, I thought you'd never ask." Judy said breathlessly before she threw herself up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss firmly on his muzzle. The kiss broke off as Nick stumbled backwards, fumbling for his keys. Judy laughed giddily as he turned and unlocked the front door to the building and nearly chased his red tail as Nick barreled up the stairs to his apartment.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Hours later, Judy laid back on Nick's bed, staring at the ceiling as the fox snored lightly beside her. He was curled partially around her, one arm and paw laid protectively over her chest. She turned and looked at the sleeping fox and smiled as his breath tickled the fur on her face. She remembered what she said to Skye earlier and felt it even more now as she laid next to Nick. She was so glad she had found this dumb, annoying, wonderful fox. She just couldn't believe it took her this long to figure it out. But judging by today, and of course, tonight's events, she was suddenly a lot more sure that her fox wasn't going anywhere.

Then, she remembered something else that come up between her and Skye, something she hadn't thought about since the vixen had said it. She realized now, laying next to Nick that she hadn't thought about what happened during the raid at all, not once since her and Skye's talk by the pond. Remembering it now, it still hurt, but she looked back at Nick and felt the pain slowly dull into something manageable, something she could handle. Suddenly, she knew exactly why Skye and Jack worked so well. She knew, beyond a doubt, that no one would make her feel as good as Nick, no one could even come close. She smiled and planted a tiny kiss on the end of his nose, getting a tiny huff and a sleepy mumble in return.

Her smile turned more mischievous as she got an idea. She slowly, carefully extracted herself from Nick's grasp and slid off the bed, searching around in the darkness for her pants. She found them and quickly fished her phone out of the pocket. She blinked at the bright screen as she scrolled until she found Skye's contact.

'Go ahead and cancel that date with Dakembe' she typed. She hit send and carefully crawled back into bed, slipping under Nick's arm and scooting back into him, letting her fox grab her and hold her tight as she fell asleep.

 **Authors's Notes**

 **So a little shorter, little sweeter chapter this time. I thought I might be overloading you with death and mayhem so I thought I'd step back a little and try to give some depth to our heroes. Still, a lot of big things in this chapter, Nick and Judy are going strong now and Tice definitely got some wild news. Just a little side note, I really hope you all are having as much fun reading this as I am writing it because I'm having a blast. Stick around for next chapter as the full debrief from the mission kicks off and our team finds out their next moves.**

 **Also FYI, I have a few more chapters that need a last proofread and then they'll be uploaded in the next few days. I figure I owe you all after my long absence. And please, review away! I love hearing what people think of all this. As always, thanks for reading, hope y'all enjoyed!**


	11. Chapter 11

Judy and Nick nodded to the ZIA secretary as they hustled by. The anteater just nodded back, apparently familiar enough with the two officers by now to dispense with the usual greeting. Judy was glad for it as they hustled up the stairs to the top floor of the ZIA, as they were already running late enough as it was. Her phone had said it was 8:55 when they hopped out of the cab, and the debrief was starting at 9:00 sharp. She hated to cut it so close, but waking up naked next to Nick had caused some unforeseen problems, including a shower to get the scent of _each other_ off. Both had decided to show up in street clothes as Judy didn't have a spare uniform at Nick's, and she was praying Bogo didn't call them out on it. She and Nick hustled across the ZIA bullpen and burst into Stagg's office.

"Well. Good morning officers, nice of you to join us." Stagg droned as the two hurried into the last remaining seats around the conference table. The other chairs were taken up by Bogo, Wolfard, the two MMF soldiers, the pair of ZIA agents, and Assistant Director Fettersworth. Judy scooted her chair in and tried to ignore both the annoyed look from Bogo and the excited, knowing look from Skye.

"Now that everyone's here, we can start this meeting. First off, there's something very important I need to discuss. Agent Savage," he turned to look at the hare with a dark look on his face. "Did you notice anything unusual about the raid?"

Jack looked uncomfortable, collecting his thoughts before he answered.

"Actually...yes, sir. It wasn't much but when we breached, I couldn't help but feel that the hostiles were too prepared. Every single mammal in there was armed, even the ones who seemed to just be there to pack crates and cut the drugs. And also, there was barely _any_ confusion before they started firing. They even had some of the tables and crates set up in a way that _specifically_ gave them some cover when the shooting started. It almost seemed like they were waiting for us."

All the gathered mammals glanced uneasily at each other at the hare's account. Even if Black Knight might have been suspicious that the ZPD was onto them, there was no way they could've actually _known_ that a raid was coming.

"Damn it." Stagg cursed, "That's exactly what I was afraid you'd say. And that, ladies and gentemammals, is why you are the only ones at this debrief instead of the entire assault team. I believe we may have a leak somewhere in the ZIA."

"Sir!" Skye gasped, "There's no way!"

"There most certainly is. I already had my suspicions, what Agent Savage has said has just confirmed it for me. Our analysts on the scene said that all the drugs had already been cut and were almost done being repackaged to move to another location. Hell, if we had been even a few hours late, we might have missed them. Our intel said that the warehouse was being used for cutting the product and for long-term storage. It can't be a coincidence that they decided to move their entire stash the same night we decided to stage the raid. I'm sure that somehow, they must've had prior knowledge. As a matter of fact, the only reason you're all even here today is because I trust Agents Savage and Frost, and Bogo and Lieutenant Granger have sworn up and down that you others are trustworthy."

He said this evenly enough, but Judy couldn't help but notice his gaze lingering on Tice and Wolfard. Clearly the buck considered those two the weak links.

"Possible leaks aside, we have a completely different problem to deal with." Fettersworth said, taking over for Stagg. "We've already started interrogating some of the survivors from the raid. Some are staying quiet, but some of them have been giving us some information. One thing that they've all been consistent on is that Saber had five mammals with him that served as his underbosses. We showed them a photo of Martín Rojas, and they all identified him as one of them. Between that, and the fact that all the underbosses were fluent Spanish speakers, we decided that these mammals must've been other members of Pawnamian cartels, sent to back up Saber. It's a stretch, but when we began identifying the bodies found at the scene, we found we were right. The problem here is...we only found two at the warehouse." He paused before looking over at Judy. "The third was killed near Agent Frost's position. That makes four dead, counting Rojas, but the fifth was never accounted for."

Judy's gut wrenched as she thought about the two mammals that were fleeing from the warehouse that night.

"Sir, before I...before I fired at the suspect, I heard him and the other talking in Spanish."

Fettersworth nodded his head as if that confirmed his theory.

"That figures. They must've somehow slipped away during the raid. Clearly, we don't have much evidence, speaking Spanish doesn't automatically make someone a cartel member, but for now, we have to assume that at least one of them escaped. And if that mammal has any way of contacting the rest of the Task Force, then they now know that the ZIA has killed one of their own and is likely coming for the rest of them, and depending on what they saw, they also know that McCoy is alive and working with us. That makes for a dangerous situation, for _all_ of us."

The room was deadly silent, the assembled mammals all processing this on their own. Finally, Skye asked a tentative question.

"Sir...what do we do now?"

Stagg grunted, shaking his head.

"Honestly Frost...we're not sure. Losing Saber was a crushing blow to our intelligence gathering. The locals that were working with them have given us what information they can, but they only knew about the Zootopian operation, which we basically dismantled during the raid. Unfortunately, now we're basically stuck on the defensive until we can come up with a plan of attack."

"Stuck on the defensive?" Jack said incredulously.

"Yes, Agent Savage. I don't believe for a second that this attack will go unanswered. And now, Black Knight probably knows who we are and where to hit us, while all we have to go on is that we're pretty sure they're _somewhere_ in the country of Pawnama. We need time to gather intel and form a plan, but we need to keep you all safe in the meantime. That's where this comes in." Stagg finished, throwing a folder on the table. Skye reached forward and flipped the folder open, looking confused.

"Sir...what the hell is this?" She asked, holding up a list of directions, instructions and grid coordinates.

"Those are your directions and grid coordinates for the safehouse I'm sending you all to. It's outside of the city, and me and the Assistant director are the only mammals who even know if it's existence. You two, along with your MMF and ZPD counterparts will be staying there until we can come up with a new plan of action."

Jack and Skye both stared at the buck, open mouthed, until Jack burst out indignantly.

"Sir! You can't be serious with this! The entire ZIA could be targeted, even you sir, not just us! I'm not going to go cool my heels in some cabin in the woods while that threat is still present!"

"That's exactly what you're going to do, Savage!" Stagg shouted, slamming a paw on his desk. "Despite what you may think, the ZIA actually _can_ function without you, and I was a field agent while you were still shitting in diapers! And besides, I thought you and Agent Frost might enjoy a little getaway." He finished coldly. Jack fumed, clearly furious at the Director, but he slowly sank back into his seat, staring daggers at the buck as Skye looked visibly embarrassed. Judy felt her own anger rise as she saw her friend get treated like that. She fought to keep her tone in check as she sat forward to speak.

"Sir, Agent Savage is right. We can do more good here, helping fight Black Knight on the homefront."

"Oh, is that how it is? Take down one bad guy and now you're all geared up to go to war?" Judy gasped, stung by the director's harsh words. She could practically feel Nick's hackles rising next to her as the fox let out an almost inaudible growl. Director Stagg turned towards the sound, narrowing his eyes at Nick.

"And what the fuck is this? All riled up because I hurt the little bunny's feelings? Well fuck your feelings, Wilde. The both of you are going, isn't that right Chief?"

Judy and Nick wheeled around to look at Bogo, who kept a stoic face as he gave a silent nod. Judy could see just the tiniest bit of regret in the chief's eyes, but that did nothing to stop the betrayal she felt that Bogo hadn't even _mentioned_ this to them.

"So when do we leave?" Granger asked, reaching across the table to slide the folder closer to herself. Stagg looked taken aback as he answered.

"Well, _they_ were set to leave as soon as possible, but you'll be staying here in the city ma'am."

"No, that won't work." The ocelot said simply, not even glancing up from the paper she was reading. Stagg blinked twice, leaning over his desk.

"Ma'am, you are the official MMF Liasion for this operation. I'll need you to help plan the upcoming mission." Granger finally glanced up, looking annoyed.

"Well, I have a cellphone, I think you do as well. Most can send emails nowadays, so I'm sure we'll manage. Director, you have to understand that wherever my soldier goes, I'm going as well. You seem to believe this safehouse is secure but what if you're wrong? I'm not sending my soldier out on his own. So, I'm going." She turned back to the folder, leaning in to read something carefully. Stagg looked towards the ceiling as if begging a higher power for help, before turning to the Assistant Director.

"Bob, I assume you placed the Lieutenant's service pistol in the armory along with McCoy's gear?"

"Yeah, I put it in my private section. It's been secure since the raid." The boar answered, seeming confused.

"Good. Load it into the van along with the rest." He tuened back towards the rest of the gathered mammals, sounding tired and exasperated. "Well, the safehouse is going to be a little more cramped now. You may have to double up rooms, but I don't know if that will be much of a concern." He paused to sneer at his two agents. "Now, unless anyone else has any bitches, moans or complaints, get out of here and go pack. Be back in two hours. Dismissed."

 **XXXXXXXX**

Judy sat on her small travel bag dejectedly, eyeing Fettersworth as he loaded bags of gear into the van. She was back in the sub level of the ZIA, where a nondescript grey van had been parked next to the fleet of tactical vehicles. She had been the first one to return from packing, and she was sitting there feeling decidedly pissed off.

 _I can't believe Bogo would just go along with this crap, without even telling us!_ She thought miserably. She knew that the ornery buffalo likely had his officers' best interests at heart, but she was still angry that he hadn't even consulted them. Suddenly, she felt the subject of her anger's looming presence beside her.

"Hopps..." the Chief said carefully, ironically wary of the tiny rabbit next in front of him.

"Yes, Chief?" Judy said back bitingly, still staring at the van. Bogo shifted on his hooves and took a gruff tone with the rabbit.

"Now don't give me that, Hopps. I'm doing this for your own good, you _and_ Wilde. In case you haven't been keeping count, the raid makes three times in nearly a _week_ that you've been shot at. If you keep getting into any more trouble I think you might give your fox a damn heart attack."

Judy was ready to give back a scathing reply, but she stopped short. _Your fox..._ the chief had most definitely just called Nick _her_ fox. Not _that_ fox or her _partner,_ but _her fox._

"Oh don't look so damn surprised, Hopps. I spent fifteen years as a beat cop and seven as a detective. I've cracked harder cases than the 'Why did two of my officers come in smelling like the opposite _species_ Mystery'." Bogo grumbled.

Judy flinched, suddenly terrified of what kind of wrath Bogo would bring down over this. Everything last night had happened so fast, she hadn't even had time to consider it, and now her hasty morning shower clearly hadn't been enough and her cover was blown. Might have worked better if she had kept Nick _outside_ the shower while she was using it but to be fair, they were trying to save time.

"Before you even start, know that at the moment, I couldn't give a shit less about you two being romantically involved. I'm much more concerned about keeping you alive long enough to sign your next paycheck! So you are going to get in the _damn van,_ you're going to go to the _damn safehouse,_ and you're going to learn a thing or two from those agents so you can _god damn bloody well make it that long!_ Am I clear?" Bogo growled, snorting heavy breaths through his thick, bovine nose. Judy looked up and nodded, terrified by the huge buffalo. Even after knowing the chief for so long, it was hard not to feel tiny when all that rage was focused on you.

"Good." Bogo said, straightening. "And one more thing. You're going to take this number and you're going to call it if a single thing goes wrong, so that I can come out there and save your arses."

As Bogo stomped away, Judy looked at the scrap of paper in her paw. It was obviously a phone number with a Zootopian area code, and Judy realized with a jolt that it must be the chief's personal number. She folded the paper up carefully and slipped it into her pocket.

"Hey! Carrots!"

Judy turned around and her heart swelled as she saw her fox walking towards her, an easy grin on his face. He stopped beside her and dropped the bulky luggage bag he was carrying. Judy eyed it warily and looked back up at Nick.

"Nick...you remembered Stagg said to pack for like...a week right?"

"Course I did. Guys got to look nice for his new girlfriend right?" He said, giving her a wink. Judy felt her ears redden as she glanced around nervously, hiding her smile.

"Nick! Stop that! Bogo's already on to us, we don't need more trouble."

Nick blanched, looking down at his rabbit in terror.

"Bogo knows?" He whispered.

"Yes!" Judy groaned, "Apparently the shower we took didn't solve the whole scent issue. We're in the clear though...for now. Bogo's got bigger fish to fry than suspending us for fraternization I guess."

Nick breathed a sigh of relief, clutching at his chest.

"Whew, thank god. And hey, speaking of last night...I found these on my floor, I was thinking you might want them back?"

Judy's heart stopped as Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny, familiar pair of purple panties, hanging them off of one claw. She cried out in surprise, but before she could dive for them, a door opened behind her.

"Jesus Charlie, I swear that bartender was about to-" Tice froze as he stared at the tiny slip of fabric dangling from Nick's claw. Charlie followed his gaze and nearly choked as her eyes shot wide. Nick turned to them, suddenly panicking as he hastily jammed his paw back in his pocket, staring back st the soldiers.

"Nick...did you just put Officer Hopps's panties in your pocket?"

The ocelot Officer was staring at the two cops with a mix of horror and amusement. Nick blinked twice and decided to try to turn the tables. It was a weak shot, but it was all he had.

"Did...Tice just call you Charlie?" He asked the lieutenant. He was pleasantly surprised when both mammals suddenly looked incredibly uncomfortable, giving each other knowing, worried looks. _What's up with that?_ Nick mused.

"What...in the everliving fuck."

All four mammals jumped and turned to see Wolfard, standing alone off to the side with a beat up canvas bag and a coffee in his paw.

"Wolfard! How long were you standing there?" Judy gasped, horrified that yet another mammal had seen her panties.

"Oh, just the whole time. You all are not very observant." The wolf deadpanned before spinning away. Judy could've sworn she heard him mumbling something along the lines of, ' _Knew I should've put more whiskey in my coffee'._ She knew she should be worried about how much whiskey already _was_ in his coffee, but she was more occupied with trying not to kill Nick as the soldiers also padded away. She turned to stare back at the Fox, who was doing his best to give her an apologetic grin.

"Sorry?" He squeaked. Judy growled a very un-rabbitish growl in the back of her throat.

"Sorry? You should be sorry, you dumb fox! Now literally every mammal in this safehouse is going to know about us! And give me those!" She growled. Nick pulled the panties back out and quickly passed them to Judy who stuffed them away in her bag.

"Wait, how do Skye and Jack already know?" Nick asked, desperate to change the topic. Judy pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes.

"I may have texted Skye last night. She was very...insistent that we should be a thing."

"Huh...Jack kinda was too. Judy...do we have _shippers_?" Nick asked with a goofy grin.

"Oh shut up, Nick." Judy said, fighting back a chuckle.

"And hey what the hell was that with Tice and the lieutenant? I mean, I remember her first name is Charlotte but...am I crazy or did Tice just call her Charlie?"

"Yeah he did..." Judy trailed off thinking. She was No expert in military customs, but she was decently sure it was not normal to call your commanding officer by pet names.

"Hey! Judy!"

Skye scurried up, holding her suitcase in front of herself, smiling widely as she bounced on her feet. Her gleeful eyes flicked in between Judy and Nick, and she looked like she was ready to explode.

"Hi Skye." Judy said, her irritation and embarrassment fading a little at the sight of her overly excited vulpine friend.

"So...?" Skye said, her grin getting impossibly wide. Judy was searching for an answer when Nick looked around, and seeing no one watching, leaned over and gave Judy a tiny kiss on the top of the head with a wink to Skye. Skye gave an excited squeak and shot forward to hug Judy.

"God, this is so great!" She gushed, pulling back and surprising Nick with a hug as well.

"Yeah, congrats you two." Jack said, sounding less than pleased as he trudged up, dragging his own suitcase. Nick looked at the miserable looking hare and raised an eyebrow.

"You doing alright Jack?"

"Don't mind him, Nick. He's still just pissed that Stagg is sending us out on this trip."

"It's just bullshit!" Jack exploded, "That dumbass deer is practically _sabotaging_ this operation by sending us out to play house in the country. And I _know_ that this is just a roundabout way of punishing me and Skye. This whole thing is just ridiculous." Jack finished bitterly, crossing his arms.

"Oh suck it up Jack. This isn't the end of the world, let's just try to enjoy it." Skye chastised. The four turned as Charlie and Tice walked up, both very pointedly trying not to look at Nick and Judy too much.

"Hey, Fettersworth said he's done loading our gear, so we're getting in the van." Tice said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. Everyone followed along and piled into the van, with Skye driving, Jack in shotgun and the rest piling into the back. Judy, Nick and Charlie took one of the long bench seats while Tice and Wolfard took the other, with a mountain of gear and suitcases stacked in the middle. Judy was fairly sure it was illegal to seat passengers in the back without seatbelts, but she wasn't about to argue. As they all settled in, Stagg appeared in the open back doors and looked in at the occupants.

"Alright, listen up. You all are heading to the safehouse and staying there, no leaving _at all._ The house is kept stocked with everything you all should need for at least a week. If you end up needing more, contact myself or the assistant director and we'll work something out. Besides that, keep your phones on, especially _you_ , Lieutenant Granger, and stay vigilant. If all goes as planned, we'll be in contact soon with a plan. Now, get out of here."

Stagg slammed the double doors and slapped twice on the side of the van. Skye started the van up and dropped it in drive as the garage door lifted up, letting the van cruise slowly out into the city.

 **XXXXXXXX**

The ride was mostly silent as the van cruised out of the city limits. Judy was still considering the implications of Bogo being aware of her and Nick being together. She was more than a little pissed that it had taken not even 24 hours for the chief to find out; she would've liked at least a little more time to break that news slowly. Suddenly she realized that Bogo wasn't the only ZPD Officer to be aware of her current situation. She rounded on Wolfard and saw the wolf sleeping with his head resting against the wall of the van.

"Wolfard. Hey, wolfard!" She yelled, getting the wolf's attention. He sat up and blinked blearily until he focused on the bunny.

"What's up?" He asked, sounding bored.

"Hey...about what happened back at the ZIA..." Judy said, stretching to lean across the luggage so she could talk at least a little quieter.

"Save it Hopps. Really not the first time I've seen a female's underwear, and it's not like you were wearing them at the time."

Judy felt heat rise in her ears as Tice poorly tried to hide a laugh with a cough. Clearly the conversation was not as private at she was hoping, so she simply gave up and leaned back, talking normally.

"Well whatever. Just maybe keep it on the down-low? At least as far as the ZPD goes? I mean, everyone here already knows right?"

The van was silent as the mammals all tried very hard to look anywhere besides her and Nick. Judy rolled her eyes and looked at the Fox who gave her an amused look and raised his paw.

"Hello everyone, just a quick announcement. Me and Miss Hopps here are now a romantic couple, and last night we, as the kids say, _did the nasty._ There, now everyone knows."

Judy closed her eyes in resignation as the males all burst out in laughing cheers, Jack actually leaning back to give Nick a high-five. Charlie at least managed to restrain herself to a polite chuckle and gave Judy an approving look. Judy allowed herself to relax and laugh a little as the laughs and jokes all seemed in good fun. As the laughs quieted down, Wolfard leaned across the van pat Judy on the shoulder.

"Sorry, Judy but I can't guarantee 100% secrecy. I swear, I'll keep this under wraps until you want to let the world know, but Clawhauser has to hear the story about the Red fox panty thief."

Judy laughed, nodding in agreement with the wolf. It really was too good of a story to pass up. The van lapsed into silence again as they tore through the open countryside. Judy was reminded of her first train ride to Zootopia as rolling green hills flew by either side of them. Before long, Skye reached over and flicked on the van's radio and clicked through faded, staticky stations until the sound of a rock station filled the van. She put the volume at a reasonable amount and let the station play, tapping along to the beat.

Judy didn't think anything of the music at first, but a few songs later, she noticed an immediate change from Tice as the opening chords of a song started up.

 _Comin' outta my cage and I been doin' just fine,_

 _Gotta gotta be down, because I want it all,_

 _It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?_

 _It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss!_

The coyote immediately sat up a bit straighter and began to tap his fingers on his knees. Judy racked her brain to remember the name of the song, and then she remembered hearing it in college, it was Mr. Brightside by the Quillers. As the drums kicked in, Tice began to lightly bob his head to the beat. Judy almost laughed at the sight of a muscular, top-tier military operative practically looking like he was ready to explode if he didn't sing along, but she held back as she just faintly heard the sound of Tice humming along to the words. _Wow, he must really love this song_ she decided.

Judy looked up to the driver's seat, meaning to tell Skye to turn it up, but she saw the vixen was already way ahead of her. She was looking in the rear view at Tice with a grin as she leaned over and cranked the radio up before throwing her head back and belting out the lyrics.

"Well I just can't look, it's killing meeee! We're taking control!" She spun in her seat and pointed at Tice. "Take it away, McCoy!"

Tice was only surprised for a second before he leaned forward and sang in a surprisingly clear, strong singing voice.

"Jealousy! Turning saints into the sea! Swimming through sick lullabies! Choking on your alibies!"

"But it's just the price, I pay! Destiny is calling me! Open up my eager eyes!" Nick suddenly called out, Surprising Judy. She didn't even know Nick knew this song.

"Cuz I'm Mr. Brightside!" Nick, Skye and Tice all sang together. The bridge kicked in and Tice and Nick both rocked their heads back and forth, keeping time with the beat. The other mammals all joined in to some degree, and Judy was surprised again on the next verse when nearly every mammal in the van started to belt out the lyrics, or at least something close to them. Judy laughed out loud when she saw Nick and Tice leaning over the bags to take turns singing 'It was only a kiss!' into each other's faces.

Suddenly, Judy was overcome with a sudden sense of warmness. She realized that for the first time, Tice actually really felt like one of them. Before now, he had been off to the side, as if he couldn't be trusted, or was different from the rest of them because of his past with Black Knight. But here he was, singing along to an old classic with them like they were all old friends. And Judy really hoped that someday, Tice would be friends with all of them. She looked to the driver's seat again and smiled at the back of Skye's white head. There was no doubt in her mind that she had known exactly what she was doing when she cranked that song up, and In that moment Judy loved her for it.

"Oh shit! Another classic! Good picking on the station, Skye!" Tice called from the back as he launched into head-banging along to the power chords of a song Judy couldn't remember who wrote. She settled back into her seat comfortably and glanced up at Nick. The fox was laid back with a relaxed smile on his muzzle, content to watch Tice rock out. Judy smiled and grabbed his paw, prompting him to look down at her. His smile grew bigger, and suddenly Judy couldn't help herself. She reached up, grabbed a handful of his furry cheek and hauled him down for a kiss. She kept it quick, but still felt her heart race a little at the fact that she was surrounded by other mammals.

She pulled away and giggled at Nick's stunned look, before glancing around to judge everyone's reaction. Jack hadn't seen, and Tice had been too wrapped up in the music to notice, but Judy saw Skye giving her a sappy looking smile in the rearview, and Wolfard also gave the two a grin and a well-meaning chuckle. Charlie however, despite being right next to Judy, hadn't seen a thing. As a matter of fact, she seemed way more focused on something else, as she bit her lip a tiny bit with a thoughtful look in her eye. Judy followed her gaze, and hid a gasp when she saw it landed right on Tice, who was still oblivious.

Suddenly pieces started to fit together. Tice calling her Charlie, him saying something to her about a bartender, and now that somewhat... _predatory_ look she was giving him. _This is going to be a very interesting week_ she thought to herself.

 **XXXXXXXX**

"Wow." Nick said flatly, staring up at their safehouse. "I was picturing something with more of a... _cabin in the woods_ kind of vibe."

The rest of the mammals were all following Nick's lead, staring up at the house slightly dumbfounded. The safehouse certainly wasn't a cabin in the woods; it was more like an oversized modern ski chalét. The house sat perched halfway up a mountain at the top of a narrow, winding road, surrounded by a stand of trees. Judy couldn't help but wonder what kind of dent this put in the ZIA budget.

"How did the ZIA even get this?" She asked, looking up at Skye. Skye looked down at the paper Stagg had given her and read before answering.

"Apparently this used to be a hideout for some criminals. ZIA seized it when they took them down and Stagg claimed it as a safehouse."

Skye looked back up from her paper. There was a brief silence before the laughing vixen took off at a sprint.

"I call the biggest bed!"

"I call the second biggest!" Nick called, tearing off behind her into the house. Jack and Judy laughed as their foxes wrestled at the front door before spilling into the house.

"Do I have to race you two to get a decent room?" Charlie asked, smirking at the smaller mammals. Wolfard butted in as he passed, hefting his travel bag over his shoulder.

"Nah, didn't you hear? These two are already sleeping in the two biggest beds!" Judy gave an embarrassed little titter while Jack just grinned up at the wolf. Everyone else followed in behind the two foxes and Judy's jaw dropped a little as she walked inside.

To the right of the front door was a huge, open living room with a high ceiling, ringed with plush looking couches and finished off by a massive picture window overlooking the countryside. To her left was a nice modern looking kitchen with a granite island in the middle. A staircase past the kitchen wound up to a loft where there were four rooms, presumably bedrooms. Judy saw another staircase leading down into a sub level at the other end of the living room, with a full bathroom attached in the corner. Judy noticed that while the house was clearly designed for mammals larger than her, there were modifications everywhere that would let a mammal around her size live in the house comfortably.

"Who did you say this place belonged to again?" She called out, climbing the stairs to the second level.

"Some criminal crew. Terrorists is the best word I guess, but these guys were down for heists, assassinations, kidnappings, anything that paid good money. Real pieces of work." Jack said, as he hauled his suitcase up the stairs behind her.

"Yeah, _real pieces of work_." Skye said, coming out of one of the bedrooms. In her cupped paw, she held four gleaming metal objects. Judy realized with a gasp that were shining metal eyeteeth, belonging to some kind of cat. Jack and Skye shared a dark, knowing look before Skye pitched the teeth over the balcony to land somewhere in the living room.

Judy was confused by the little display, but shrugged it off as she walked past, finding Nick in the last room. She had already decided she wasn't going to bother with sleeping apart from Nick. Everyone already knew, and Stagg had said himself that they'd have to double up in rooms. She walked into the room and dropped her suitcase by the door, finding Nick laying back on the bed, his legs dangling off the end. She crawled up next to him and placed a kiss on his furry cheek.

"Maybe this place won't be that bad." She said, settling her head on Nick's chest. He looped an arm over her and kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, I think we'll survive." Nick said.

"Hey, come check this out!" A voice called from somewhere in the house. Nick and Judy pulled themselves up and wandered through the house into the basement. The basement was fully finished, with most of it being converted into a gym, with benches, weights, and even some boxing equipment with a sparring ring placed in the center. Off on one side of the room, Judy could see what looked like an armory, with work benches and a pegboard wall. Wolfard was already hard at work, dragging gear bags in from the van and laying out the team's weapons and gear.

"Damn..." Tice murmured, coming down the stairs. He looked around the room at the gleaming, brand new gym equipment. "I'm getting a lift in." He said simply before dashing back up the stairs.

 **XXXXXXXX**

An hour later, all of their luggage and gear was unpacked, with most of the team hanging out in the living room, gathered around a TV or reading books. But in the basement, it was training time.

Tice was clad in a tank top and shorts, and was grinding it out with the weights. He was blasting music on his new phone through his headphones, his face serious as he cranked out rep after rep. Jack was off to the side, shirtless with a pair of MMA gloves over his paws as he pounded the heavy bag hanging from a chain on the ceiling. Skye sat at the top of the stairs, playing on her phone but also enjoying the view of her bare-chested hare slamming the bag. Of course, she would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she was also sneaking glances at Tice as he finished deadlifting what looked like damn near four hundred pounds. She didn't mean anything by it, Jack was the only mammal for her, but like she said before, a girl could enjoy a view.

Tice leaned back on the bench, exhaling as he racked the bar onto the rests over his head. He had just finished his fourth set of 225 and he was feeling the burn. He'd like to go higher, but he unfortunately wasn't fully confident having anyone here spot him. He jumped in surprise as a weight dropped on his stomach and rolled up to sit on the bench. He was mildly surprised to find a full set of sparring gear resting on his lap. Jack was standing in front of him, already geared up in a smaller set of gear. It clearly wasn't meant for a hare, but it looked like it fit well enough. Jack motioned towards the set on Tice's lap, a challenge In his eye.

"Sparring with a partner is a whole lot better than beating the hell out of that bag. You think you can keep up?"

"Oh you're god damn _on, fluffy."_ Tice said, standing up and starting to strap on the chest protector. _Oh god,_ Skye thought before dashing off through the house. Within minutes, the gym was crowded with spectators as Tice finished strapping on his head gear and gloves. Skye stood, shuffling her feet with a nervous kind of smile on her face. Judy slid over next to her and whispered up to her.

"Hey...you nervous about this?"

"What? Oh, yeah I guess. I just don't want anyone to get hurt." She said, eyeing the two opponents.

"Yeah, I can understand that. Tice does have at least a couple pounds on him." Skye turned to look at her, a skeptical look on her face.

"Oh I'm not worried about that. I've seen Jack spar with tigers, bears, rhinos, the works. But I've never seen him lose. I'm just worried those two would rather kill each other than let themselves lose."

Judy paled a little, suddenly worried about the same thing as the two fighters squared off. Instantly, she could tell this was going to be an interesting fight. Tice cracked his neck and took up a wide, easy brawler's stance. Jack stretched his arms over his head and then settled into a low, practiced looking martial arts stance. The two reached out and touched gloves briefly before backing away and circling each other.

"So, how hard are we going here? Like seventy percent?" Tice asked, keeping his eyes on the rabbit. He flinched, barely dodging as Jack shot forward, sending a double legged kick at his chest. Jack landed, spinning and coming up again to face his opponent.

"We've got pads on, don't hold back puppy." Jack taunted with a grin on his face. Tice growled fiercely and charged at the hare.

Within seconds, it became clear that the two fighters were close to a match. Tice was more than twice Jack's size, multiple times stronger, and almost as fast, but Jack was clearly the more skilled fighter. He flowed from one distinct style to another, using techniques Judy didn't recognize as she zipped around him, stinging him with quick blows. Tice, on the other hand, fought like a brutal barroom brawler, eating Jack's punches and dealing out heavy, crushing haymakers. Judy cringed as one slammed into Jack's head, nearly driving him to the floor. He recovered and sent a flurry of blows to Tice's head, driving the coyote back. The other mammals watched on with rapt attention, wincing in sympathy at every blow. Finally, the bout started to turn. Jack was slowly gaining the upper hand, picking away at Tice's defenses and aiming blows at pressure points. Finally, he shot a precision punch at Tice's tricep and the arm dropped, numb and useless. Jack followed up with a punch to the face that whipped Tice's head to the side and dropped him to a knee. Jack saw his opportunity and jumped up into the air, drawing back for a flashy, powerful supermammal punch. Everyone gasped as they braced for the bout's fiery conclusion, but the room fell deadly silent as Tice's paw shot up and caught Jack's much smaller paw, easily trapping it. He stared at the smaller mammal, fire burning in his eyes.

"Oh shit." Jack muttered, before Tice's huge left paw hammered him in the face. Tice gave him another brutal hook as he rose to his feet, before gripping Jack's paw with both paws and turning. He easily hefted the rabbit up and over his shoulder and threw him. However, Jack wasn't going down so easily. As he left the ground, he cocked back both feet and as he flew over Tice's shoulder, he drove both feet into the underside of the canine's jaw. Everyone yelped as Tice's head shot back and the coyote toppled backwards like a felled tree. Jack like wise sailed across the room before slamming into the punching bag and landing in a heap on the ground.

"Jack!" Skye yelled.

"Tice!" Charlie called at the same time. Both females rushed across the gym to their respective males, Skye cradling Jack in her lap as Charlie bent over Tice to stare down at him.

"Tice..." Charlie muttered under her breath, putting her paw on the coyote's chest.

"Jack! Look at me sweetie, say something!" Skye yelled, shaking the hare. Everyone held their breath, waiting for some sign that one or the other was okay. Then, they heard something, a labored, raspy wheeze coming from Jack. Skye tensed up, but then rolled her eyes and stood up, unceremoniously dumping the hare on the ground as his wheezing turned into harsh laughter.

"Oh god damn it!" She swore as Jack slowly pushed himself to his feet. Charlie backed up as Tice likewise rolled over and stumbled up, a wild, dizzy looking grin on his face. The two stumbled over to the center of the ring, Jack clutching his chest as Tice squinted one swelling eye.

"That was a hell of a match! You fight like a psycho!" Jack said, bumping gloves with Tice.

"Thanks, you too. Hey, do we have any ice here?" Tice asked, rubbing at his sore jaw.

Twenty minutes later, the two brawlers were laid up with ice packs on couches in the living room. Jack was laying with his head in Skye's lap, the fox absently playing with his ears. The two had apparently decided to give up acting like they weren't a couple, so Judy had followed suit, leaning against Nick on the couch. Charlie and Tice were on the opposite couch, certainly not sitting as close as the others, but close enough for the ocelot to fuss over Tice's rapidly swelling eye.

The sky outside the huge picture window was already darkening as the mammals started to talk, relaxing in their semi-permanent lodgings.

"Seriously Tice, where did you learn to fight like that?" Jack asked, looking over at the coyote. Tice shrugged, keeping his bag of ice pressed to his eye.

"Yakistan mostly, shit got pretty dicey there. But I learned a lot at Saint Tuck's before that."

"Saint Tuck's? Is that a boxing gym?" Skye asked. Tice laughed heartily, shaking his head and leaving Skye looking confused.

"No Skye, Saint Tuck's isn't a boxing gym. It felt like it some days, but no."

"Saint Tuck's is an orphanage, Skye. It's one of the biggest ones in the city, so things can get a little...hectic there." Jack said softly, looking up at Skye. The vixen gasped and gave Tice a horrified look.

"The mammals who ran the orphanage _beat you?_ " She asked.

"No, the Sisters would never beat us. Most of them tried their best to keep us all safe, but...things happened. It was always the other kids. I'm sure that growing up a coyote wasn't _exactly_ as hard as growing up a Fox, but _shifty fox_ and _sneaky coyote_ end up in the same category a lot. Most of the kids were less than friendly, and I learned to take care of myself."

Skye nodded somberly at that, and Judy felt Nick nodding along as well. She knew that if anyone could understand the prejudice young mammals could be capable of, it was him. Tice continued on, looking at Jack curiously.

"You sound like you know a little bit about the place. You lived there?" He asked.

"Yeah, not long though, you wouldn't remember me." Jack said, sounding a little embarrassed.

"Ah." Tice said, giving him a weird smile. "Yeah, I remember. None of the cute little bunnies spent much time in there before someone took them home."

Judy flinched at Tice using the dreaded 'C-word' but Jack's only reaction was a tense grin.

"Yeah, you're not wrong. I got especially lucky. Got adopted by a filthy rich lion family just a year after my folks died. Big house, plenty of toys, everything I could ever want."

Judy sensed an edge in his voice, and tried to keep her tone soft as she asked him a question.

"But something was wrong?" She asked. Jack chuckled and shook his head.

"Nothing crazy, it was just...I wasn't _actually_ wanted. My adoptive father had dreams of running for senator, and he thought having a little rabbit kit running around would help his public image. Besides showing my face for the cameras, no one in that family gave a shit about me. No one ever said it of course, but when I got older, it was clear. So when I turned eighteen I hit the bricks and never went back. I haven't checked in on them since, but I see them on the news sometimes, whenever his company's stock drops." He shrugged, leaning his head back onto Skye's lap.

Everyone digested that for a minute. It certainly didn't seem like the story bothered Jack, but Judy was still a little perturbed by it. She searched for a topic change and eventually settled on Skye.

"What about you, Skye? Did you grow up in Zootopia?" She hoped that the vixen's story would be a little cheerier, and she was actually genuinely curious how she had ended up at the ZIA. Skye gave her a smile and nodded at her.

"Actually Judy, I think my story actually sounds a little like yours. I didn't grow up in Zootopia, I grew up out west, pretty far out in the sticks. As early as I can remember my dad was always pointing out first responders to me, paramedics, firefighters, but especially cops. He always told me how they were the good guys, how they were there to help us and keep us safe, and he was always so respectful. Even being foxes, most of the cops were pretty cool to us, but maybe that was because he was always dropping donuts off at the Precinct."

She paused, looking away with a sad smile. "He died, when I was about sixteen. Heart attack. When he died, I just wanted to carry on his memory, do something he would be proud of. My town's police force didn't hire foxes, and neither did Zootopia at that point, but I heard about an Agency out in the city that would hire anyone who could pass their academy. So, I busted my ass, trained and kicked the hell out of the academy." She finished, looking fiercely proud. Judy gave her a smile in return. She had to agree, she did see a certain similarity between her own story and Skye's.

There was a noise from above as one of the bedroom doors opened. Judy didn't bother looking as she heard Wolfard's heavy steps on the stairs, but Nick looked and his eyes shot wide.

"Jesus Wolfard! What the hell are you wearing?"

Judy turned and choked when she saw wolfard casually leaning against the kitchen counter in a black ZPD shirt and what looked like a pair of tight, short, military-green booty shorts. Her jaw dropped as the wolf turned and stretched to reach up into an overhead cabinet to grab a glass. Before he had a chance to answer, Charlie and Tice both started dying laughing, looking at the shorts in amazement.

"Holy shit, dude! Are those silkies? Where the hell did you buy those?" Tice asked through his laughter. Wolfard walked over and dropped down onto a loveseat, lounging back with a glass of water.

"Yes, they are silkies. And I didn't _buy_ these, I got them issued to me in boot camp, _boot."_ The wolf answered.

"They're obscene!" Judy yelled.

"Obscenely comfortable." Wolfard shot back.

"Wow. You really are an old salt-dog." Charlie answered, sounding impressed.

"Yes ma'am." He answered, giving a mock salute. Charlie leaned forward, giving him a look.

"Wolfard, you don't have to calm me ma'am! You haven't been a soldier for like, twenty years, you can call me whatever you want, all of you can."

"Including Tice?" Judy asked after a brief pause. She felt bad putting them on the spot like that, but she couldn't help it. Charlie and and Tice both flinched, glancing at each other, before Charlie heaved a sigh and leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her knees.

"So...here's the thing." She started. She went on to fill them all in on what she had told Tice the day before and what it meant for their operation. Judy and Nick were shocked, but Judy felt a huge amount of respect for Charlie for giving Tice the choice, and also for him for choosing to stay. Jack and Skye seemed just as surprised as them, but they both seemed to agree that she had done the right thing, and both promised not to rat them out to Stagg. Wolfard on the other hand, looked more amused than surprised as he got up to shake the coyote's paw.

"Well congratulations, boot! This calls for a drink!" He yelled as he turned to run off up the stairs.

"Wolfard, did you pack _liquor_ to come on an operation?" Judy called after him as he disappeared into his room. She knew the wolf had a reputation for being a bit of a drinker, but this seemed like it was getting out of hand.

"No!" He called back, coming out of the room. "I found this in my closet when I moved in. I guess the ZIA didn't check the place as throughly as they thought. And I found this too!" He held up two hefty looking bottles in one hand and a guitar in the other. Everyone watched as the wolf awkwardly carried his prizes down the stairs before placing the bottles and guitar on a low table in between the couches.

"Should we really be drinking? I mean, we are technically on an operation." Skye asked, looking apprehensive. Jack sat up off her lap and picked up one of the bottles. He studied it and then let out a low whistle.

"Wow. This is Johnnie Walker Blue label, this is really good scotch. Costs maybe...two-hundred? Two-fifty a bottle?" He leaned forward and put the bottle back down on the table, and shot a glance at Nick. Nick looked back at him, before looking at Tice and Wolfard before jumping up off the couch.

"I'll get the glasses!" He yelled, scampering for the kitchen.

"I got the ice, Tice go grab a bucket, I saw one down in the basement!" Jack cried out, scrambling towards the freezer.

"On it!" Tice yelled, already half way down the stairs.

Soon enough, everyone had a glass of the amber liquor while the two bottles chilled in the bucket of ice. Judy slowly swirled the contents of her glass. She had suggested putting the ice directly _into_ the glass, but the horrified looks from Nick and Jack were enough for her to scrap that idea.

"Well, I propose a toast." Skye said, sitting forward with her glass. "To the safehouse."

Everyone laughed as they put their own glasses up and repeated the toast. Judy carefully sipped her glass and was surprised to find it actually wasn't that bad. It still burned like the liquor she had at Blue's with Nick, but it was smoky, and so much smoother. She settled back into Nick and called across the room to Wolfard.

"Hey, Wolfard, why'd you bring the guitar down too?"

The wolf smiled before looking around the room suspiciously.

"Well...there's seven of us here, six minus me. I figured with those odds...there had to be at least one of us who knew how to play the guitar."

Suddenly, _everyone_ was giving eachother suspicious looks.

"Don't look at me," Jack said, "Even if I could play, the damn things too big for me."

"That makes two of us." Judy chimed in. She turned and looked up at Nick, but he was staring across the room, a knowing smile on his face.

"Tice..." he called in a sing-song voice. Tice paused with his whiskey halfway to his mouth. His eyes flicked side to side nervously.

"Who? Me? Nah man, I was too busy doing...you know...army things."

Nick's smile only got wider as every head in the room turned towards the nervous looking coyote.

"Actually, you did seem to have some pretty good rythym back in the van...and I know you can sing!" Skye said, pointing a finger at Tice. Suddenly every mammal in the room was piling on, cheering and teasing Tice to pick up the guitar.

"McCoy, I order you to play me a song on that guitar!" Charlie shouted over the commotion, putting on her serious, all-business tone.

"You can't even give me orders anymore!" Tice cried, pointing a finger at her. She narrowed her golden eyes and cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Well, maybe if I ask nicely?" She purred. The males in the room cast sneaking glances at each other across the room. Nick would never admit it to Judy, but he'd probably do anything that ocelot asked him to if she asked it like that, and across the room, Jack was thinking the same thing. Apparently, that was enough for Tice's defenses to crumble.

"Fine! Give me the damn guitar. How did you even know, Nick?" He grumbled, taking the guitar from Wolfard. Nick tapped the side of his nose, and gave him a wink.

"Never reveal your secrets, kid. Now let's go, make with the sweet music."

Everyone waited impatiently as Tice tuned up the guitar. Finally, he laid his fingers on the frets and began to strum. Everyone's faces slowly dropped as he played the intro. _No, he can't be._ Judy thought. She felt Nick tense against her. Jack's grip tightened dangerously around his glass. Charlie seemed to pale, and leaned slightly away from Tice. Then, he began to sing.

 _"Today, is gonna be the day, that I'm gonna throw it back to you."_

"No!" Everyone cried out in unison, startling Tice so bad he nearly dropped the guitar.

"What?" He yelled, holding the guitar in front of him defensively.

"Oh _come on_ Tice! How is that the song you pick?" Jack teased. Nick laughed and joined in on the ribbing.

"Seriously, do you want to be _that guy_ who plays Wonderwall at the party? Because right now, you're that guy who-"

"Alright! What would you like to hear then?" Tice asked, exasperated.

"Something not so...predictable." Charlie said, patting him on the shoulder. Tice grumbled as he retuned the guitar. He paused, fingers over the strings to eye the circle of mammals around him.

"Don't all lose your shit this time, alright?"

The mammals said a wave of acknowledgments and Tice started to play. This time, it was something Judy didn't recognize straight off. It was twangy, and flowing, something country. She knew she had heard it before, sometime back in Bunnyburrow but she couldn't put a name to the song. Charlie on the other hand seemed to recognize the song immediately and gave a tiny gasp as Tice started play. She scooted just a tiny bit closer to him, and Judy noticed how she stared at him with bright, intense eyes as he started to sing.

" _You know I like my chicken fried,_

 _A cold beer on a Friday night,_

 _A pair of jeans that fit just right,_

 _And the radio up!"_

He stretched the last word out beautifully, and finally Judy recognized it. Chicken Fried by the Pack Brown Band had been a hit in Bunnyburrow a few summers before she went to the academy. She sang along with the verse as it came in and smiled across at Charlie as she sang right along too. And when the chorus came back around, everyone joined in. Tice's initial nerves and hesitance melted away and he played the strings like a master while he belted out the lyrics. As Tice strummed the last chord, his small audience gave a rousing cheer. Tice gave little mock bow, before launching into another song, his nerves apparently gone.

The night took on a good cheer as everyone listened and joked and laughed. Everyone threw in an occasional request for a song, and Tice knew almost every one, at least well enough for the progressively tipsy mammals to sing along to, but almost every song he picked was a country song. Eventually, everyone began to quiet down as one of the bottles was gradually emptied, and the second was well on it's way. Sometime before midnight, the night turned into Tice quietly strumming as the couples relaxed, snuggling comfortably on the couches as Wolfard looked like he was trying not to nod off.

"Well, I propose a toast to our resident troubadour, Tice McCoy." Nick said lazily, raising his glass. The mammals all raised their glasses in a tired manner as Tice gave a pleased, buzzed smile.

"Where did you learn to play stuff like that? I didn't really have you pegged as a country music guy." Skye asked, absentmindedly stroking Jack's head. Tice shrugged, leaning back into the couch.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't used to be, but Gunny was a huge country music fan. He's the one who taught me, so I picked up a lot of them from him." He chuckled at the mildly surprised looks he was getting. "Oh come on guys, you didn't think we were just constantly on missions right? Like it was just a seven day a week killing spree?"

This got a few tired chuckles from the group, but Tice leaned forward slightly, seeming to get serious.

"Gunny was...a really good guy actually. A mean old prick, but a good guy. A lot of them were, even some of the guys who ended up fucked up in the end. For most of us...hell, all of us, really, Black Knight was all we had. We were kind of like a weird, fucked up family. But Gunny was...he was the best of us." Tice sighed, staring off into space. Everyone kept their silence, not feeling like they really knew what to say. But then, Wolfard broke the silence, sounding a little more than tipsy.

"What was his favorite song?"

Tice blinked, looking back at the wolf.

"His favorite song?" He asked, cocking his head.

"Yeah man, you said he played, he must've had a favorite. Like on my last deployment, we had this guy, this panda machinegunner. This guy was a beast, and absolute wizard behind the gun, but the thing was he was _always_ fuckin' singing. Seriously, on hikes, on patrol, back at base camp, he was always singing and he was _obsessed_ with that old song 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'. God, we all fucking hated that song by like, the third week in country." Wolfard gave a hazy smile as he remenisced, but then his face got somber. "Anyways, long story short, he stepped on an IED our last week in country and that was it. We took him home with us when we flew back stateside, and I think we must've sang that song a hundred times on the flight back. So, you know, I was just wondering what his favorite was."

The wolf turned and faced towards the window, his jaw tight. Judy would never mention it, but she was sure he seemed to blinking a lot more than usual. Tice sat, dumbstruck for a second, before he sat up, tuning the guitar again. After a moment, he began to strum again. Judy didn't recognize this song, but Tice sang it beautifully.

( **A/N: For this, look up _Strong_ by Will Hoge)**

As the last note faded out, Tice leaned forward and put the guitar back on the table, leaving everyone still, stuck in their thoughts. Judy blinked hard, surprised to find her own eyes were a little misty. She didn't even have a connection to the song, and she had never met Gunny, but just the way Tice sang it, you could hear what the song meant to him. Suddenly, Wolfard stood up and walked away, muttering something about bed. He scooped up what was left of the second bottle before rushing up the stairs and into one of the rooms, shutting the door behind him.

"Well...I think that might be our cue." Nick said softly, gently untangling himself from Judy so he could stand. Everyone else followed suit, mumbling something along the lines of getting some sleep. Judy stood, stumbling a little bit as she felt the whiskey getting the better of her. She was sure she wasn't the only one as she saw most of her friends shambling and stumbling up the stairs. The only one who stayed behind was Tice. He grabbed his suitcase and headed for the bathroom to change.

"Hey Tice, we can drag Wolfard out to one of these couches if you want to snag a bed. I'm sure he wouldn't mind...or probably even notice." Nick called from the balcony.

"Nah I'm good. I've slept on way worse than this couch. Maybe tomorrow night." He said as he walked to the bathroom. Nick shrugged and headed into his own bedroom behind Judy. He shut the door, and immediately began to change, which was an admittedly difficult task in the dark and in his currently sauced condition. Finally, he flopped down onto the bed with a huff, shirtless in his ZPD academy shorts. Judy silently crawled in next to him, dressed in the shirt that he had just pulled off. The bunny dragged herself up until she could drop her head in his chest and drape an arm over him. He sighed and closed his eyes, and was about to let sleep take him, when he felt a poke on his nose.

"Hey, Nick. Are you awake?"

"I am now." He grumbled. He cracked an eye and looked down at Judy who was looking up at him seriously.

"Are we insane?" She asked, slurring her words a bit. Nick frowned, opening his other eye and lifting his head.

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean...literally two days ago, we were just friends. Now we're just...shacking up like it's nothing. And all it took to get us together was a crew of military-grade drug dealers, getting shot at a few times, and me...well, you know. I just think this is all a little crazy."

Nick shrugged, pulling her a little closer to his chest.

"Yeah, this all probably does say something about our mental stability." He said, closing his eyes as Judy groaned. "I don't really care though. As far as I'm concerned, we're just making up for lost time."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I mean I should've done all this a year ago. I should've just kissed you under the bridge when I had the chance."

Judy blinked up at him, her mind whirring.

"You...you felt like that back then?" She asked softly.

"Hell yes. I don't even think I realized what it was at the time, but yeah. You had me hooked from the beginning."

Judy looked up at him adoringly for a moment before darting up and planting a kiss on him. She drew back and buried her head in his chest, muttering her words around his fur.

"God, you dumb, wonderful fox. I love you."

"I love you too, Judy." Nick whispered back, rubbing her back as the two slowly passed out.

Tice settled back comfortably on the couch, stretching out with his paws behind his head. He wasn't lying when he told Nick this wasn't the worst place he'd slept; he certainly didn't mind being on the couch. He had ditched his shirt and was lounging back in his gym shorts, staring up at the dark ceiling. He didn't have a blanket, but the heat definitely worked here, and a healthy amount of whiskey certainly helped to keep him warm. He had cut off the lights, and now he leaned back, staring up at the dark ceiling. He didn't even realize he had drifted off until a noise in the room jolted him awake, and he sat bolt upright. He squinted in the faint light from the window until he recognized the intruder.

"Oh, hey Charlie." He said, pulling himself into a sitting position.

"Hey...I'm sorry, did I wake you? I was just going to use the bathroom." She lied, standing just next to the sofa, clad in running shorts and a black tank top.

"Nah, I was still awake." Tice lied back.

"Couldn't sleep?" Charlie asked, padding around to the front of the couch and sitting down. Tice shrugged noncomittally.

"I guess. I was just sitting here thinking." Tice answered.

"About what?"

"I don't know...all this I guess. I mean, I can't believe this has all happened to me. I guess I'm just...really glad to meet all of you. I wasn't lying when I said Black Knight was like a family, and since then, I haven't had anything. But since you, and Judy and all the others...you've all just been so great to me. It's just been nice you know? Sorry, I'm rambling like an idiot." Tice said, waving a paw in the air.

"No, it's fine. I'm really glad you're here too, Tice." She said softly. She scooted a bit closer to him and looked at him shyly. "Um...you know, Tice, you don't have to stay here."

Tice looked back at her, confused and a little hurt. He had just told her how glad he was to be with all them, and she was reminding him that he could go.

"Charlie, I already told you, I'm staying. I just said I'm happy to be here, I-"

"No, Tice." Charlie cut in, flustered. "I was talking about the couch."

She leaned in even closer to Tice. She was still giving him that shy look, but now there was something else in her eye. Tice could smell her now, and she was _intoxicating_ , but he could also smell whiskey coming off both of them.

"Oh...Uh, are you sure that's...a good idea?" He asked. _What the hell is wrong with you?_ A voice inside his head screamed. A beautiful female just woke him up to invite him up to her room, and he was questioning it. But, his better judgement was winning out, and he had to consider the morality of taking her up on the offer after all those drinks. Then, Charlie closed the distance and placed her paws on Tics's chest.

"Am I sure it's a good idea? Hell no. But I am sure it's what I want, and I'm hoping you'll come upstairs before I decide this is a bad idea."

Tice felt his last shreds of resistance fall apart as she placed her paws on him. He reached up and took one of her paws. She stood and turned, guiding him by the paw up the stairs and into her room.

In a different room, Wolfard laid on his bed, and was vaguely aware that he had heard one mammal go down the stairs, but heard two come back up. He grunted as he fought to keep the room from spinning around him. _God damn kids. Why am I the only one not getting laid?_ He thought before he finally passed out.

 **Author's Notes**

 ** _And then there were three anthropomorphic cartoon couples._ But seriously, I hope you guys aren't getting sick of me shipping all my characters. Anyways, here's chapter eleven of Black Knight. As I'm sure you all noticed, music played a pretty huge part in this chapter. Music is huge for me, and I really feel that the right song can enhance a setting or convey feelings and moods that my feeble words can't, so I would highly recommend listening to the songs referenced in the story. If the title isn't in the text, I'll always throw in a quick author's note to get it out there. Also, as far as military shit goes, Silkies are very real. I won't dishonor them with a half-ass (pun-intended) explanation, just google USMC Silkies shorts. The term _boot_ that Wolfard calls Tice is a common way military members describe those that have been in for less time than them. That should be just about it. Oh, and if my math is right, which it definitely might not be, I think this makes for 100k words. I can't believe I actually made it this far on this, but have no fear, I ain't done yet.** **As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope y'all enjoyed!**

 **P.S. Congrats to anyone who caught that Water Under the Bridge reference I threw in there. I don't own that story, or any of the characters I was alluding to, all credit and much respect goes to WriteAnon. Also there was a tiny, much more subtle nod to Take a Stand in the chapter. Again, all credit and respect to Garouge Faux. Thanks to both of you for writing some of my absolute favorite fics.**


	12. Chapter 12

Sunlight filtered in through the window, warming up the room in a way that would've been pleasant, if the sun's rays hadn't managed to hit Tice square in the eyes. He always wondered how a star a half a million miles away always managed to line that shot up perfectly. He grumbled and rolled over and noticed that the source of warmth he had felt next to him all night wasn't there anymore. He groped along the covers blindly until finally he cracked open his eyes to try to find out where Charlie had gone, and saw the ocelot sitting up on the edge of the bed. He stretched and reached a lazy paw out to rub her bare back.

"Morning." He mumbled sleepily. He was about to try to pull her back towards him when he noticed that she tensed up a little at his touch.

"Good morning." Charlie said back. _Oh shit_ Tice thought, feeling his pulse start to quicken. Her tone wasn't exactly _cold_ but it was certainly a little more brisk than what he had expected to wake up next to. He slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, trying to shake off the fuzziness that accompanied a good night's sleep after a night of drinking.

"Hey...you okay?" He asked tentatively.

"I'm fine." Charlie said back shortly. Tice winced and decided he had to bite the bullet on this one. He knew this could've been a bad idea, and now he had to deal with it.

"Charlie...about last night. If you're regretting it, I'm really sorry. We were both drunk, and I should've known better, we were in no condition to be doing...well, _that."_

Charlie hunched forward and wrapped her arms around her middle. Tice was suddenly very nervous. He obviously didn't know her that well, but he had never seen her look so small and fragile. _How bad did I fuck this up?_ He asked himself.

"Stop that, Tice. I'm the one that came after you, you have nothing to apologize for. And...I don't regret it. Not like that, it's just..."

"Just what?" Tice asked, gently pushing the issue. Charlie sighed and turned towards him, giving him a pained look.

"I'm just...not usually like this okay? I'm not the type of girl who..." She trailed off, looking lost for words. Suddenly, things started to make a little more sense to Tice and he took a shot in the dark.

"The type of girl who takes guys she just met to bed?" He asked as gently as he could. Charlie closed her eyes and put a paw to her head.

"I knew that's what you'd think. I didn't even mean to, I told myself I was just going to use the bathroom but then I saw you and...oh god."

Tice's heart hurt as he saw how distraught she was. He had seriously screwed this up. No matter what Charlie said, he was just as at fault as she was, and now he had to at least try to fix this. He hauled himself up and sat next to her, leaving just a little bit of space between them.

"Charlie...are you saying last night was a mistake? Because if it was, we can just move on from this like it never happened."

As soon as he said it, Tice was sure it was the wrong thing to say. Charlie gave a sad little moan and looked up at him, seeming near tears.

"No, Tice it...it wasn't a mistake. Over the past few days, you've just been so great and I was thinking _maybe_ but...I didn't want it to be like this."

"How did you want it to be?" He asked.

"I don't know. I wanted to get to know you, and for you to know me. But now you probably just think I'm just some _tramp."_

Tice pulled back, a little shocked.

"I don't think that." He said softly.

"Why shouldn't you?" Charlie said, wheeling on him. "You hardly even know me."

"Well, I'd like to." He said simply, taking a chance and sliding an arm around behind her. She didn't pull away, instead she leaned into his side, even though she still looked miserable.

"How? Tice we're stuck in the middle of a grade-A shit show right now. We could _die,_ Tice. There's a very real chance that we might not see the end of this."

"But what if we did?"

She looked at him, looking lost so he decided to power on.

"Charlie if this wasn't happening, if we made it though this, or if we had just met, two random mammals on the street, what would you want?"

"It's not that simple." Charlie whispered.

"It can be. I mean, all we've got to do is make it to the end of this. So how about I make you a deal. If we see this through, which I'm sure we will, you have to let me take you on a date. A real date, a fancy dinner, a walk in the park, anything you want."

"You'd want that?" She asked shakily, looking doubtful.

"Are you insane? _Of course_ I want that. Charlie, you're amazing. Since you've met me, you've been nothing but caring, and sincere and just...perfect. God, I can't even explain what I'd give to get a date with you. This shit? This is nothing. So do we have a deal?"

Charlie finally gave him a watery smile and swiped the back of her paw across her eyes.

"Okay, Yes, it's a deal. But you'd better make good on it! And this better not be a pity date because you feel bad!" She warned, trying to sound tough.

"Believe me, I will, and it's not." Tice chuckled. "But for now...how do you want to handle this? Do you want to put this on hold?"

Charlie leaned into him, thinking for a moment. Slowly, she reached and took one of his paws.

"No, I don't think that will be necessary, seeing as we might just die anyways." Tice barked a short laugh, silently thrilled that the feline was holding his paw. "But maybe we should try to keep it professional around the rest of the team?"

Tice snorted, shaking his head.

"Sweetheart, we're here with three police officers and two Zootopian Intelligence Agents. I think they might be able to figure it out."

Charlie laughed back, nodding in agreement as she imagined the officers and agents all setting up a cork board diagram cataloguing the evidence of them two sleeping together.

"Okay you're right. But let's try at least, okay?"

"Yes ma'am." Tice said, teasing smile on his face. Charlie laughed and nudged him playfully.

"Hey...there's no way they can guess what's happening in here now right?" Tice questioned. Charlie looked puzzled.

"No? I mean, the doors closed. I'm pretty sure they're not psychic."

"Good. No witnesses then." Tice said, before gently lifting her chin and kissing her sweetly. She felt a rush go through her as she kissed him back. _Live or die, date or no date...there's no way this was a mistake_ she decided as she leaned into his kiss.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Morning in the safehouse was a slow affair. There were no alarms to go off and nothing to do for the day, so everyone woke up on their own schedule. Luckily, Charlie and Tice were the first ones awake so there was no one to notice Tice quietly slipping downstairs into the shower. As the rest of the crew woke up, Charlie came down and acted casual as if nothing had happened.

The day that followed was a lot of the same. Around mid morning, Tice and Jack managed to wrangle Nick and Wolfard into a workout session in the gym, and the ladies joined in on their own. They had a lunch consisting of what they could find in the cabinets, mostly non perishables and canned goods, but it was enough. They all lounged around after their workout, relaxing on couches and watching mindless TV.

Judy kept fighting to ignore the itch to do something productive. Looking around, she could tell that at least Skye and Jack were feeling it to. The agents had already contacted Stagg that morning, and had apparently gotten a less than thrilling answer; _Stay put, stay quiet and wait for orders._ Charlie's phone wasn't ringing either, so it was easy to assume that no plan had been formed yet. Dinner rolled around eventually, and the team sat down to have a pasta feast that Skye and Nick managed to scrape together. They seated themselves around the kitchen island on high chairs and stools, talking as they ate.

"Hey so I had a thought." Nick said, holding his fork in the air.

"Let's hear it." Jack said around a mouthful of pasta, earning a disapproving look from Skye.

"Well...we're after Black Knight right? I mean, we keep calling them 'The Organization' or 'The Task Force', but they do have a name. And we could be described as a task force too, right?"

"Where are you going with this?" Judy said skeptically.

"I'm saying, we need a name." Nick said with a grin.

This got a few groans from around the table, Jack and Skye both rolling their eyes.

"Nick, that's like...some action movie stuff." Skye said, putting down her fork. "We don't really use names for our task forces. If anything we just use designations, like Bravo and Delta." Skye explained.

"Well why can't we?" Nick pleaded. "I mean, someone could write a book about this someday, we could all be in a movie! They'll end up picking something dumb to call us. I'm saying we get ahead of the curve and pick our own. And I suggest... _Team Foxtrot."_

Everyone held their breath for a moment before bursting out in laughter. Nick looked aghast at the reaction, yelling over the laughs to defend himself.

"What? It's a good name!"

"Nick, there's two foxes here out of seven members." Judy laughed.

"Well what do _you_ suggest?" He asked petulantly.

"I'm not suggesting anything!"Judy shot back.

"We could be like...the opposite of Black Knight." Wolfard thought out loud. "Like...White...something? What's the opposite of a Knight?"

"Day?" Jack said drily. This got more eye rolls from around the table.

"Well, historically a black Knight was something to be feared. In all the old stories, a black knight was always the evil, cruel enforcer of some mad king." Charlie said.

"Well that's fitting. Who was the good guy?" Wolfard asked.

"Well...I guess technically it would be a kind of _white knight._ But a knight that fought for good wasn't ever called that. They were usually called a paladin."

No one answered for a second as they chewed on that thought. Jack nodded his head, giving an approving look.

"That...actually isn't that bad."

"It does have a ring to it." Tice agreed. Nick suddenly slapped a paw down on the table.

"That settles it! Task Force Paladin. I like it." He said, grinning wildly. "I suggest we make t-shirts as soon as we secure the merchandising rights. I actually know a guy who can screen print shirts for cheap."

"Yeah, I'm sure you do, Slick." Judy said, getting a laugh out of the crew. The conversation moved on, but Judy kept rolling the name around her head. _Task Force Paladin...it_ does _have a nice ring to it._

As dinner finished up, Tice took over washing the dishes with Wolfard while everyone else wandered back to the living room. The mood was relaxed, with not much to do for the night. Skye and Jack were the first two to drop off, somewhere around eight at night. It was definitely early for bed, but with nothing better to do, it didn't really make sense to stay up. Wolfard followed suit about an hour later and Judy and Nick were only up a few minutes after him. Finally, that left only the youngest, Tice and Charlie. They both resisted the urge to rush up to bed until they were sure everyone else was soundly asleep, but eventually they practically chased eachother up the stairs. After a repeat of last night's activities, Charlie was definitely happy with her decision to _not_ put what they had on hold. She fell soundly asleep soon after, curled around Tice's sleeping form.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Night had long since come when Charlie rolled over to find her bed empty. She sat up sleepily and looked around the room; there was no sign of Tice anywhere. She grabbed her phone off the night stand and saw that it was just after midnight. She blinked at it, puzzled. She knew she had fallen alseep next to Tice only hours before, but now he was gone. Suddenly, a pit opened in her stomach. _Good going Charlie, you scared him off_ She cursed quietly at herself. She had thought their talk had gone well this morning, despite her being an emotional basket case , but now Tice didn't even want to share a bed with her. She steeled her nerves as she pushed off of the bed and started to get dressed. She knew Tice had to be somewhere in the house, and she wasn't going to give up that easy. She'd find him and at least ask him if she could make this right.

She didn't have to search long as she opened the door to her bedroom. She found that below the balcony, the living room was bathed in a soft light. She could make out Tice's shirtless torso, facing away from her on the couch. She sighed and padded softly down the stairs. She walked up behind Tice, but stopped short once she could see beyond him. Laid out on the table in front of him was what looked like all his combat gear. He seemed hard at work, scrubbing at a piece of his rifle which he had completely dissembled and laid out neatly. This was not what Charlie had been expecting, and she wasn't sure how to go about this.

"Tice?" She asked softly from behind him. The coyote jumped slightly and his paws halted for a second before he went back to cleaning.

"Hey Charlie." He said. Charlie stepped forward, concerned. Tice sounded off, his voice thick and heavy with emotion. She stepped up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay? You were sleeping with me and then...I mean if you don't want to, that's fine."

"It's not that. I had a...a nightmare. This usually helps after. It's fine, I just needed a minute, I'll be back up later."

 _A nightmare?_ Charlie thought. What kind of nightmare could freak a guy like Tice out? She walked around to the other side of the couch and eased down next to him. Instantly, she could tell something was seriously wrong. It wasn't just Tice's voice that was off, it was his eyes too. The bright, energetic spark that she had gotten used to was gone. His eyes looked dark, hollow, haunted. She recognized that look, and suddenly everything clicked. Tice's nightmare, the gear laid out. She knew what Tice's nightmare was.

"Tice? What happened?" She asked, placing a paw on his thigh. He shrugged, still working on his rifle. She leaned forward and put her paws over his, stopping him. "Tice." She said in a serious tone. He let her stop him, but he pulled his paws back and stared at her.

"Charlie, you wouldn't understand it. It's my shit to deal with. Believe me, go back to bed and I'll be there in a while."

"I might understand more than you think." She said.

"No, you won't!" Tice growled, showing his anger for the first time. Instantly his eyes flashed regretfully. "Oh my god, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." Charlie waved off his apology and stared at him, waiting for him to continue. Finally, he spoke as if the words were getting dragged out of him.

"Charlie, you just can't understand. You haven't been through...what I have. I'm sorry."

There was a long, painful silence. Tice turned away, staring at the far wall as he tried to blink his tears away. They weren't all from the dream, some of his tears were from the shame he felt. He should be stronger than this, he was supposed to be. And now his problems were affecting Charlie. He couldn't believe how determined the universe seemed to be on fucking him over. He hadn't had a nightmare about the blast in months and now he has one tonight, next to her?

"I wasn't always an intelligence officer."

The words took a minute to register in Tice's brain, he was so lost in his own thoughts. Finally he turned back to look at Charlie as she kept talking, her voice sounding far off.

"I wasn't the first female infantry officer or the first predator, but I was one of the first few to be both. Public Relations loved it. My first assignment, they actually tried to send a combat camera crew out with me. Thank god they didn't."

Tice was startled at her words. She had never mentioned being infantry before, but now that he thought about it, it made sense. She was in amazing shape, and had that calm, confident, almost cocky demeanor of an infantry officer.

"My first mission, I took a platoon out. It was supposed to be a routine assignment, we were running a security patrol in the Al-Ampar Province of Dyria. Myself and fourty mammals. My soldiers, every single one. They trusted me..."

Tice's stomach dropped. He had heard this story before, a hundred times from a hundred different leaders. It never ended well. He was sure this would be the same as he saw tears glimmering in her eyes.

"They told us there was a minimal insurgent presence in the area, we shouldn't expect any contact. Maybe if I had been looking, expecting something...I don't know. Either way, we walked right into a fucking ambush. We passed through a ravine and they opened fire from both sides. I left the wire that day with fourty soldiers. I came back in with twenty-three."

The words were like a hammer blow to Tice. Seventeen soldiers lost. In this modern era, to lose that many in a single firefight was beyond catastrophic. Instantly, Tice felt horrible, gnawing guilt. _I told her she wouldn't understand_ he lamented.

"Anyways, they considered court-martial after. Some of the Command thought it was gross negligence on my part, they were calling for me to resign my commission. Eventually they cleared me of that, but they still decided to remove me from my unit. They moved me to intelligence, found the most hopeless cold case they could and stuck me there. And that's how I wound up here."

"Charlie, I am _so sorry."_ Tice said as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "I had no idea."

"And now you do. That's my nightmare Tice. Now, tell me yours."

She knew that was a little bit of a dirty trick, trying to guilt trip him into it. But she also knew there was no other way to get him to let her in. Tice still looked pained for a minute before he took a shuddering breath and started to talk.

"It...its always the same. I'm back in Yakistan, riding in the lead vehicle of the convoy. Then, the blast goes off. I never see it coming the first time, I never remember it, but then everything resets. And this time I know it's coming and I try to stop the convoy, I try to yank the wheel, I scream in my driver's face and nothing happens. We hit the IED, the blast goes off, and it starts all over again."

"And that's what messes you up so bad?" Charlie asked. Tice shook his head miserably.

"No, it's not that. The dream itself doesn't get me but It just always makes me think...I should've seen it Charlie. There's always some kind of sign right? That's what they teach at combat training, one plus one equals IED. There had to have been something, an ant trail, a triggermammal off in the distance. There's got to be something I missed. And that makes that shit my fault."

"It's not your fault Tice." Charlie interrupted. Tice ignored her.

"All of them, my entire squad, my _friends_ , gone in a fucking second because I failed them. And yet, here I am. How the fuck does that make sense? I get them all killed, practically signed their fucking death warrants, and here I still am. What a fucking waste."

Tice jumped as Charlie actually shoved him. For a second she actually looked like she might hit him, but then she just shoved him again, looking like she was near tears.

"Don't you say that! Don't you ever fucking say that to me again Tice. You are not a waste. You know what this is Tice, you can't go down that hole."

Tice was thrown more by her suddenly harsh tone than her shove. Her eyes burned holes into him.

"I know. I took the same classes as you, they call it Survivor's Guilt, they call it PTSD, they'll jam you full of pills and put you on a couch to talk with the Doc and none of it makes a god damn difference. I still feel the same."

"I feel it too Tice." Charlie wailed. "Every day, I think about the mammals I lost that day. But you can't let it consume you."

"How do you deal with it?" Tice asked.

"One day at a time. And the most important thing is to _not_ let yourself feel like a waste, like you don't deserve it. Live for them, do _good things_ for them."

Tice laughed drily, looking miserable.

"Well I already fucked that up. When Panthera came to me in the hospital, I was already so deep in that hole. I was half dead, burned, and drugged halfway to the moon. The doctors had just told me I was the only survivor. And right then, I wished I had died too. Then, _he_ came in and cleared the room out and gave me his pitch. God, he made it sound so fucking _noble._ He said we'd be doing good, for the whole world. And look where that got me. If my squad dying that day was supposed to give me a chance to do good then I went and threw it right back in their faces."

"Tice that doesn't have to be your only chance! This, us, this whole mission we're on, this is your chance. You're still good Tice, Black Knight doesn't define you. You're still living and you have so much good to give this world. But you won't see it if you sit here and feel sorry for yourself!"

Her words struck a chord with him. Even from the bottom of his personal pit of hate and self-pity, he knew that she was right. He just needed to see it and to keep moving towards that.

"You're right. I know you're right, Charlie. It's just hard, you know?"

"God, I _do_ know." She said, sounding relieved. She eased across the couch and wrapped her arms around the coyote's thick neck. "I know you're still upset but...can you come back upstairs with me? I don't want you to be alone."

"Yeah. You still remember how to put one of these together?" He said, pulling back and gesturing towards his rifle.

"Please. I could do this blindfolded." Charlie said, leaning forward to start piecing together the rifle's reciever. Tice smiled and started to fit the pieces of the bolt back together. As he picked up one of the smaller pieces, he paused as he cut his finger on a metal burr. _That's not supposed to be sharp_ he thought, holding up the piece. It was his firing pin, possibly the smallest single piece required to make the rifle function. He squinted at the piece in the faint light, and felt his stomach turn.

He dropped the piece back on the table and scrambled across to the other side, reaching for his pistol.

"Tice! What the hell are you doing?" Charlie, called out, startled by his outburst. Charlie dissembled the weapon in seconds and turned towards her, shouting as he held up the weapon's tiny firing pin.

"My firing pins have been ground down. These guns are useless! Wake everyone up, we have a serious problem!"

Before she could respond, the lights throughout the house suddenly flickered off. Tice dropped to the floor, frantically whispering to Charlie.

"Go! Get to the basement! We need to see if any of our guns still work." Charlie dashed away and moments later Judy and Nick came rushing down from the bedrooms.

"We heard you yelling, what's happening?" Judy asked, fully awake in an instant.

"Get to the basement with Charlie, we need to check our weapons, I think we're under attack!" Tice yelled back as he looked out the huge picture window.

"What's going on?" Jack called from the balcony. Tice was about to answer before he cut himself off and threw himself to the floor. He tried to scream a warning but no one heard as the window suddenly exploded in a hail of gunfire. The rounds came with a staccato thunder roll that lasted nearly ten seconds, shattering the entire window and spraying lead around the room. Jack and Skye threw themselves to the floor on the balcony as Nick and Judy dove down the stairs into the basement. Finally, the gunfire ended and Tice yelled out from his cover in the living room.

"Everybody stay behind cover! It's fucking Warhammer and he's not alone!"

Judy racked her brain as she sprinted down the stairs into the basement. She felt icy fear in her heart when she remembered the name Warhammer scrawled in red ink over a photo of a massive, cruel looking grizzly bear. She tumbled off the stairs and clicked on her phone light to find Charlie already in the makeshift armory, dissambling weapons by the light of her own phone. She spun around to face her, her scared face lit up from below.

"All of our guns are sabotaged! Grab whatever you can for a weapon!"

 _Sabotaged?_ Judy thought numbly. How the hell could this happen? She heard a noise from upstairs and turned on a heel to run back up.

"Carrots, What are you doing!" Nick yelled behind her, but she ignored it. She ran to the top step and crouched there, staring into the faint light of the still living room. She could see Tice, taking cover behind the kitchen island, but none of her other friends. She considered running out to find them when another blast of gunfire made her jump down a few steps. She scrambled back up to see that the front door was now riddled with holes and hanging on by busted hinges. The door flew into the living room, kicked in from the outside. And then, Judy saw Warhammer.

The bear was absolutely massive, probably the largest she had ever seen. He practically had to bend over double just to fit through the doorway. As he stepped in, he looked like something from a nightmare, huge, black and wreathed in gunsmoke. He stood up to his full height and Judy sucked in a breath. While Tice's armor had been sleek and light, the bear looked like a walking tank. Kevlar and metal plates interlocked all over his body, and his face mask was a cruel, metal plate with an aerated metal box over his snout. Judy couldn't even see his eyes staring out of the eye-slits of his mask. And cradled in his arms was a bulky, belt-fed machinegun, like something from a war documentary.

One look was enough for Judy and she turned and darted back down the stairs. She frantically scrambled for a hiding spot, tripping over workout equipment, before Nick reached and grabbed her, pulling her behind a weight rack.

"Judy! What were you thinking?" Nick hissed, before another long burst of gunfire tore through the house.

Upstairs, Tice flinched and made himself small behind the kitchen island as 7.62 caliber bullets smashed into the floor, walls and ceilings. Finally the burst ended, and there was nothing but the sound of shell casings and links falling to the floor.

"Dagger!" Warhammer called out. The metal muzzle over his mouth made his cruel, gravelly voice even more eerie. "I know you're in here Dagger. Make this easy and come on out!"

Tice stayed down behind the island, trying not to panic. Even with all his training, he had no idea how to get out of this situation. He looked around for something, anything, and scooped up a kitchen knife that fallen onto the floor next to him. The knife felt pitiful and useless in his paws as the bear took two thundering steps into the house.

"Come on, Dagger. What, you think these mammals are gonna help you? Even if they did, you couldn't take me down. And why would they? You manage to trick them into thinking you're friends? Did you tell them how many mammals you've killed?" He paused dramatically, before calling out in a taunting voice. "Did you tell them that you lost count?"

Tice grimaced behind his cover as the bear waited to see if his taunt would draw the coyote out. When it didn't work, he took a few more steps into the room. Tice was truly terrified now, just a few more steps and the bear would see him around the edge of the island. He had to do something soon.

"Their deaths are gonna be on you, you know. You dragged them all into this, and we can't let them go now. All because you couldn't just stay gone. Those cops, the ZIA assholes, even that little bitch from the MMF, they're all gonna die, because of you."

That was finally enough for Tice. The thought of Charlie in danger steeled his nerves and he gripped the handle of his kitchen knife as he sprung up and threw himself over the island. The bear was quick for his size, but not quick enough. As he let loose with the machinegun, Tice jumped, pushing off of the barrel and diving upwards. He knew he only had one chance, so he made it count. He gripped the knife with both paws as he slammed the blade through the eye-slit of the bear's mask.

Warhammer roared in pain, stumbling back as he dropped his machinegun. Tice braced against the bear's chest and pushed off with his legs, diving away before the bear could shred him with a swipe of his massive paw.

"God damn it! I'll kill you, you little bastard!" Warhammer screamed as he scrambled for his weapon. Tice beat him to it, grabbing it and sliding away. He couldn't handle the gun nearly as well as the bear could, but he had enough strength to briefly aim it and fire a burst at the charging grizzly. Even at this range, his armor absorbed the rounds, but they still drove the bear back, forcing him against the wall. Tice's arms practically gave out from holding the heavy weapon and he dropped it to the side as Warhammer wedged himself out the door, wheezing and leaving a trail of blood.

"Kill those morherfuckers!" Tice heard him yell, and he threw himself back behind the cover of the island, holding his breath. Within seconds, he heard four sets of footsteps enter and could see the beams of flashlights bouncing around the room. Luckily for him, three mammals ran right past him, but unluckily, two went for the basement while a third ran up the stairs, which meant there was one somewhere in the room with him, and three heading towards his defenseless friends. He prayed silently that they would be able to handle themselves. He almost broke cover and ran for the basement as he heard the sounds of a scuffle from below, but he stopped when he heard the smash of glass from above him.

Tice couldn't see it, but on the balcony, a sheep with a shotgun had been checking the rooms. He kicked in the door of the first one and found it to be empty. He repeated the kick on the second door, and this time found a wolf with an empty bottle waiting for him. Wolfard smashed the bottle across the sheep's face, driving him backwards. He roared in his face as he stabbed the broken remainder of the bottle into the sheep's neck before pushing him backwards over the railing.

Tice jumped as the body of the sheep slammed onto the island right next to him. Instantly, the mammal in the living room opened fire on the balcony. Tice didn't waste any time before jumping up and grabbing the shotgun, firing over the counter and taking out the assailant in the living room. Before his gunshot even stopped echoing, he heard another burst of gunfire from the basement.

"Charlie!" He screamed, fearing for her life.

 **XXXXXXXX**

Judy and Nick crouched together as Warhammer was calling out, taunting Tice. The house was deadly silent besides the bear's words and thundering footsteps and Judy was almost scared to breathe. Then, she heard roaring and the sounds of a scuffle before the bear screamed something she couldn't make out. Then, she saw the beams of flashlights crazily bouncing down the steps. She shrank back against Nick behind their now flimsy seeming cover.

The mammals slowed as they reached the bottom stair, fanning out. They were calling out to eachother in Spanish, and Judy couldn't understand what they were saying, but then she was blinded by a flashlight just inches away from her face.

She screamed as a paw grabbed her roughly by the ears and dragged her out from behind cover. She heard a voice yelling in Spanish and felt cold steel pressed against her head. She instinctively kicked both feet as hard as she could towards the sound of the voice, making solid contact, but all she got out of it was a blow in return to her stomach that knocked the wind out of her. She hung limply, dazed, until she heard a faint _whoosh_ of air, followed by a meaty sounding thump and a yelp.

"Get the fuck away from her!" She heard Nick scream. She rolled over and saw him standing over her, a weightlifting bar held in both paws. The mammal who grabbed her rolled and tried to bring his weapon around to aim at Nick, but he kicked it out if the way before swinging the bar down again viciously. This time, there was no scream as the bar struck home.

"Charlie!" Nick yelled, looking across the room. Judy looked in the faint light and saw the ocelot tied up with a bobcat, fighting over his weapon. Nick took a step in that direction to help, but Charlie suddenly overpowered the bobcat and tore the weapon from his paws. She butt stroked him across the jaw before stepping back and firing a burst into his chest, dropping him on the spot.

"Charlie!" The three mammals all clearly heard Tice call from upstairs. Judy jumped as the bar slipped from Nick's now limp paw and fell to the floor with a clang. She turned back to Nick and saw that he was now staring down at the mammal on the ground at his feet. Judy couldn't see what he had done from her angle, but the end of the bar was stained with blood. Strangely though, Nick didn't look horrified or distraught like she would expect, he just looked exhausted. Then, the trance was broken as Charlie ran up, scooping the dead mammal's weapon out of his paws and pushing it into Nick's chest.

"Here, take it! We might need it." She turned away and ran straight into Tice, who charged her with a running hug.

"Charlie!" He yelled, his voice muffled as he buried his face in her neck. "I heard the shooting and I thought-"

"I'm okay Tice, but we need to go!" She said after hugging him back.

"You're right, help me bag up our gear!"

He rushed over to the table and started pushing the team's body armor and other equipment into the bags. Almost as an afterthought, he threw in their now useless weapons.

"Nick..." Judy said, reaching out and taking his paw.

"I'm fine Jude, are you?" Nick said sounding sincere. Judy never got to answer as Tice rushed up, dumping bags in each of their arms.

"Sorry guys, but you've got to do this later, we need to move!" He pushed them towards the stairs and ran back to grab more bags of gear with Charlie. The four hustled up the stairs, Judy staring at the two mangled mammals in the living room. They ran out the front door and saw Jack and Wolfard already throwing their luggage into the back of the running van.

"Is the van good? Did they slash the tires?" Tice asked Jack as he started loading along side him.

"It looks like they tried, but we're still good. This thing's a ZIA custom job, it's tougher than it looks."

"Good, any sign of Warhammer?"

"He took off in his own van when he saw us come outside with his goon's weapons."

Tice grimaced, looking around at the dark trees surrounding them warily.

"We need to move, he could be anywhere setting up a machinegun nest."

"You're right. Everyone get in!" Jack yelled as they threw the last bag of gear in. The team piled into the back of the van and Skye was peeling out down the mountain road before the back doors even shut.

"Is everyone okay? Anyone wounded?" Skye called out from the front seat. Everyone replied that they were all good. Judy looked over at Nick, worried that he might not _actually_ be okay, but he still looked unfazed by what happened in the basement.

"What the fuck happened? I thought that place was supposed to be secure?" Wolfard yelled, staring back at the safehouse through the van's back windows.

"It was. I think that this just confirms what Stagg said. The ZIA has a pretty significant leak." Jack said, pulling out his phone. Nick eyed it from the backseat before suddenly lunging out and grabbing his shoulder.

"Jack, wait! Who are you calling?" He asked anxiously.

"Director Stagg, we need to update him on the situation." Jack said, sounding puzzled.

"I don't know about that Jack. Remember, wasn't this place supposed to be secret to everyone besides Stagg and Fettersworth? And our guns, those two were supposed to be the only ones who touched them." He finished, explaining his reasoning.

"Oh god." Judy whispered, terrified at the implication.

"There's no way!" Jack shot back. "The Director's been with the ZIA over thirty years, he's a legend. He taught me everything I know. There's no way he'd turn on us."

"It might not be him, it could be Fettersworth." Nick said patiently, "But it all makes too much sense. They send us out into the middle of nowhere, with minimal communications, no back-up and disabled weapons. Someone set us up, and calling Stagg might just give us away."

Jack and Skye shared a worried look. Neither could deny that what Nick was saying made a lot of sense, but the thought of their own agency betraying them was horrifying.

"So...where do we go now?" Judy asked from the back as their van skidded off the thin mountain road and back out onto the main highway they had driven out on. Skye sighed, drumming her fingers along the wheel.

"That's a good question, Jude. I just don't know, the plan Stagg gave us didn't have a back-up location...not that I guess we could trust that now anyways."

"Well where are we?" Wolfard asked. Jack pulled out his phone and pulled up the GPS application.

"We're in Bluehill county, about a few miles outside of Lonepine. Maybe an hour away from some lake called...Hank's Lake? No, Hart's Lake."

Judy's ears shot straight up at the mention of Hart's Lake. Suddenly she remembered Lonepine county, she had spent weeks here every summer.

"I think I know a place we can go." Judy said, leaning forward to give Skye directions.

 **XXXXXXXX**

The van sat and ticked as the engine cooled in the parking lot of the old fishing shack on the edge of Hart's Lake. Even this late in the season, the little bait and tackle shop would be busy during the day, with vacationing mammals stopping by to pick up a tub of night crawlers before they hit the lake. But tonight, at almost one o'clock in the morning, the place was deserted. Judy stared out the windshield at the calm water. The last time she had even thought about this lake had been the dream she'd had, waking up next to Nick after the night she encountered Victor Blackmoore. Despite everything, she couldn't help but find the still, dark water oddly comforting.

"This is a terrible idea." Nick said, breaking her out of her trance. She tried to hide her frustration at hearing the same thing from him for about the tenth time. He had been arguing against the idea since she had first voiced it nearly an hour ago, and her patience was wearing thin.

"I'm aware Nick, you've said that before. Do you really have a better idea? Every motel and bed breakfast around here will already be long closed. I don't feel like sleeping in the van, do you?"

"What if they know the place exists? If they have access to the ZIA's resources they could find out your family owns a cabin out here."

"Nick my great-grandfather bought the plot _in cash_ almost a hundred years ago. Pop-Pop built the cabin himself and Dad hasn't filled out a building permit for anything on the property since we started using it. This place is totally unknown, and my parents never use it this late in the season. There's always food and the water and heat should still work, we'll stay there tonight and figure out a plan in the morning."

Nick grumbled, crossing his arms. For the life of her, Judy couldn't understand why he was so against using the cabin, but she finally felt like she had won him over. She realized that the rest of the team were all awkwardly watching them, waiting to see if their little spat was over. Judt leaned forward to talk to Skye.

"Head on up this road for another few miles. Keep an eye out for a sign with a big carrot on the right side, that'll be our cabin."

Skye started up the van and took off up the road, following her directions around the edge of the lake. Everyone was quiet, most of the mammals feeling tired and drained from the action back at the safehouse, and Tice and Wolfard had actually managed to fall asleep. Judy couldn't help but notice that Tice had passed out leaning to the side with his head on Charlie's shoulder and she seemed to be making no effort to move him.

"Is this it?" Skye called back, slowing down as she approached a dirt turn-off with a homemade looking sign showing a big, orange carrot.

"Yeah this is it." Judy answered, and Skye turned down the road. The headlights jumped crazily as the van bumped over the uneven drive. After a minute, Judy saw the headlights strike the familiar front porch of her family's cabin.

 _Cabin_ might not be the exact best word to describe the place, but it's what Judy's family had always called it. It was constructed out of rough, hand-cut logs like a usual cabin, but boasted two floors and a wrap around porch. For most mammals, it would have made for a comfortable, good sized home, but for a family as large as the Hopps, it was big enough for her parents to take most of their younger children out for vacations in the summer. Judy felt a little better when she saw the familiar cabin, getting up quickly when the van ground to a halt.

"Let's take our luggage, but leave the gear bags in the van. They won't do us much good in a fight anyways." Jack said as he unbuckled. The team piled out of the back of the van, suitcases in hand. Judy walked across the gravel drive, noticing that as she expected, there was no other cars in the drive. They would have the place to themselves. She hopped up the front porch and stepped over to a wooden eagle next to the door, intricately carved out of an old stump. She tipped the carving over and retrieved the key from underneath, unlocking the front door.

"Wow. High-tech security." Nick snorted behind her and Judy shot him a glare. She padded through the front door and flicked on the light switch. Instantly, the front room was bathed in the orange glow of old-fashioned incandescent bulbs hanging from the ceiling. The front door opened into the kitchen and dining room, the long table empty and bare. Beyond the kitchen, the living room was still dark, and the hallways leading out of both sides towards the bedrooms were darker still.

Judy walked forward and dropped her bag on the table while the rest of the team filed in behind her. Tice and Jack were talking animatedly about what had gone down at the safehouse and what they should do next, but Judy suddenly didn't have the energy to participate in the conversation. Right about now, all she wanted to do was curl up with Nick and sleep for the rest of the night, even if he was being grumpy. Then, her ears perked as Tice went stiff and stopped talking to Jack. She watched as he swung his head around, sniffing the air.

"Well I guess we'd better just get some rest." He said, keeping his voice as casual as possible. His face, however, was anything but casual. He was giving Jack a look that said something was very wrong, and he reached up with one finger to tap his nose, indicating he could smell something.

"Yeah I guess you're right. Should we eat something first?" Jack said back just as casual, as he padded around the edge of the table. By now, the whole team had sensed the change in the mood, and they were all watching Tice carefully. Judy was terrified as the coyote crept towards the doorless archway into the dark living room. She had been wrong, this place wasn't safe and now they weren't alone.

"Yeah you go ahead man." Tice said, flattening against the wall next to the arch. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, mouthing the words _In there._ He held up a paw with three digits, dropping them one at a time before throwing himself around the corner. Jack rushed after him, preparing to rush into the fray with him as the whole team got ready to back the two up. There was the sound of a brief scuffle and the sound of fists hitting flesh before Tice backed up into the pool of light spilling into the living room from the kitchen. In his paws was an ancient looking, too-small double barrel shotgun.

"Get on the fucking ground! Paws where I can see them!" He barked, brandishing the weapon. As he held it awkwardly in his large paws, Judy recognized the gun. It was the same old shotgun her dad had kept around, supposedly for the purpose of keeping crows off the produce, though he never actually shot anything besides old beer cans.

 _What the heck?_ She thought, before a noise from the living room caught her attention. It was the rhythmic thumping of small paws moving very fast. Then, there was a high-pitched, crazed sounding screech as a grey and pink blur flew out of the darkness, striking Tice with a metallic sounding _clang_. The two toppled over into the kitchen with Tice's assailant on top off him, the shotgun spilling from his grip. Judy lurched forward, ready to fight when she heard a very familiar voice.

"Get the hell away from my Stuart!" The pudgy rabbit cried, managing to look fierce in a pink nightgown as she grabbed the front of Tice's shirt with one paw and brandished a cast iron frying pan with the other.

"Mom?!" Judy yelled, staring in shock as Bonnie Hopps threatened a trained, deadly military operative with a cooking implement. Bonnie looked up in surprise at Judy, before her eyes narrowed and she stopped wielding the frying pan with such malice.

"Judy!" She said. "Well, you could've damn well _told us_ you were coming!"

 **XXXXXXXX**

 **Author's Notes**

 ** _Yeah that's right y'all. It's gon' be a meet the folks chapter._**

 **That's for next chapter though. So I hope I didn't overload anyone with this chapter. I know I'm spending a lot of time with my OC characters, but I wanted to build those two up a little bit. I hope I didn't get too deep and lose anyone there, that topic is just something I've had in mind for those two but especially Tice.**

 **But, Task Force Paladin has a name now, so that's exciting!**

 **So for military stuff, Leaving the wire is a term that basically means going outside of your base or the area that you control, typically on patrol. And, Survivor's Guilt is a very real condition that a lot of combat veterans suffer from. I'm not an expert on that, so if you want to know more just give it a google.**

 **As always, thank you so much for reading, hope you enjoyed!**


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